DEFINITIONS
& TERMS
GENERIC
CATEGORY
Cellulose is one of many polymers found in nature. Wood, paper, and
cotton all contain cellulose. Cellulose is an excellent fiber. Wood,
cotton, and hemp rope are all made of fibrous cellulose. .
Cellulose Insoles were originally developed to replace expensive leather
and use long, softwood (i.e. northern pine) fibers. The fibers are "impregnated"
with binders (synthetic latex) which hold the product together. Typically,
the more binder a product has, the better the performance characteristics
are.
(link to Nantex)
Compression Set - The amount of permanent set, or failure to
return to its original thickness, measured in %, that a material exhibits
after being exposed to a compressive force, for a given amount of time,
at a specific temperature.
Compression Deflection - The amount of force required to compress
a foam specimen by a given % over the entire top area of the specimen.
Usually expressed in pounds per square inch (PSI).
Density - Describes the weight per unit volume of a material,
usually expressed in PCF (pounds per cubic foot), or the metric equivalent
kg/m3 (kilograms per cubic meter).
Durometer - A meter used to determine the hardness of cellular
materials.
Elongation - The maximum length a material can be stretched
without tearing, or exhibiting permanent distortions. The value is expressed
as percentage of the materials original length.
Resilience - The ability of a material to recover from impressions
and withstand additional impacts. Usually expressed as the ratio of
return to impressed energy.
Tear Strength - Based on the thickness of the material, the
resistance to growth of a nick or cut when tension is applied to the
cut material.
Tensile Strength - The maximum amount of stress a material can
withstand without tearing while being stretched lengthwise.
Thermal Stability - Dimensional stability in any direction of
a material at elevated temperatures
(Link to ATP
and Great Lotus
)
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Nylons are one of the most common polymers used as a fiber. Nylon is
found in clothing all the time, but also in other places, in the form
of a thermoplastic. Nylon's first real success came with its use in
women's stockings, in about 1940. They were a big hit, but they became
hard to get, because the next year the United States entered World War
II, and nylon was needed to make war materials, like parachutes and
ropes. But before stockings or parachutes, the very first nylon product
was a toothbrush with nylon bristles. Faure offer Nylon fabrics and
blends of Polyester and Nylon for 2 color dying.
(link to Faure)
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Polyester Fiber Characteristics
Strong
Resistant to stretching and shrinking
Resistant to most chemicals
Quick drying
Crisp and resilient when wet or dry
Wrinkle resistant
Mildew resistant
Abrasion resistant
Retains heat-set pleats and creases
Easily washed
Faure offer
Polyester fabrics and blends of Polyester and Nylon for 2 color dying.
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Polyurethanes are the most well known polymers used to make foams. However,
polyurethanes are more than foam. They are the single most versatile
family of polymers there is. Polyurethanes can be elastomers, and they
can be paints. They can be fibers, and they can be adhesives. Spandex
is a polyurethane. Nanya
make PU coated non wovens, ATP
pour it into footbeds and Great
Lotus make breathable foams and footbeds from it. For useful technical
information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane
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Thermoplastic Polyurethane grades possess a wide range of properties
that make them suitable for many applications.
Among the key physical properties of TPUs are: High tensile and tear
strength; Excellent abrasion resistance; High impact resistance and
vibration dampening properties; Good hydrolytic and microbial resistance
(polyether grades); Excellent resistance to fuels, oils, ozone, and
oxygen (polyester grades); High elasticity and resilience, as well as
high load bearing capability and hardness; Good low temperature flexibility;
Light/UV stable (aliphatic grades).
Because TPUs range from rubbery to stiff, the range of applications
is varied. Typical applications are tubing, fire hose lining, animal
ID tags, cable jacketing, hydraulic seals, mine screens, caster wheels,
automotive gears, fuel and oil containment films, tarps, safety glass
laminates, footwear and automotive instrument panels.
Nanya produce extruded TPU's which are highly abrasion resistant
and easy to clean.
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Plastics are called plastic because they are pliable and can be shaped
and molded easily. As plastics become easier to mold and shape when
they're hot, and melt when they get hot enough, they are called thermoplastics.
This is differentiated from crosslinked materials that don't melt, called
thermosets.
Box Toe and Counter materials are included in this category. (Link
to TecnoGi)
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This glossary comes from on a US government website, which is somewhat
dated, but very comprehensive.
Link to Glossary Of Leather
Terms
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