Most frequently used terms & physical properties |
Weight and Thickness | Material weights are reported in gramme per square meter and thickness in increments of 0.001 inch(mils). Both material weight and thickness are indicators of garment bulk and comfort. |
Anti-static treatment | Special treatment helps to prevent build-up of static electricity ,which could present a major safety risk in certain industries . |
Particulate Holdout | The filtration efficiency of a material, measured by the number of particulates per 100 that can be pulled through the material. Reported for 2 micron size particles. |
Penetration Resistance | Material resistance to liquid penetration is measured using ASTM F903. The outside surface of the material in question is exposed to the test chemical for one hour. |
Permeation Resistance | ASTM F739 is used to measure the permeation resistance of materials. Permeation is the molecular movement of chemicals through a material. If exposure to chemical vapors is a concern, this data should be analyzed. |
Tensile Strength | The force required to break a material apart by pulling it from opposing directions. Measured in pounds and is reported in two directions. |
Burst Strength | The force required to break through material when applied perpendicular to its surface area. |
Tear Resistance | The force required to tear through a material once a tear has been initiated. |
Puncture (or Snag) Resistant | The force required to puncture a material with a sharp probe, such as a nail. |
Abrasion Resistance | Measurement of how quickly a material will wear through when rubbed against a coarse, sandpaper (simulated asphalt) surface. |
Air Permeability | The ability of a material to freely pass air, measured as the number of cubic feet that can be passed in a square foot of material. Non-breathable materials allow no air permeation. Note: Some materials may report zero air permeability, but may still have breathability. |
Water Vapor Transmission | In this test, the rate in which a material allows transmission of water vapor is measured. The rate is reported as ounces of water that can pass through a square yard of material in one hour. The ability of a material to allow water vapor transmission is related to wearer comfort because body cooling occurs through the evaporation of sweat. |