Glossary

ARAMID 
Generic title for the family of high modulus fibres that include Kevlar, Twaron and Technora

BIAS 
A diagonal across a piece of fabric at 45-degrees to the warp and fill.

CREEP 
The property of fibres to gradually stretch under a constant load.

CRIMP 
Length or waviness added to a yarn when it is woven over-and-under in a piece of fabric. Crimp can contribute to the elongation of a fabric under load.

DENIER 
A system for coding filament yarns and fibres, with low numbers representing finer sizes and higher numbers representing heavier yarns. Denier represents the weight in grams of 9000 meters of a fibre.

ELONGATION 
The difference between the length of a stretched sample and its initial length expressed in 1/100ths of an inch.

FIBER 
Strand of material used to spin into a yarn.

FILL 
The yarn or fibre running across the width of the fabric at right angles to the warp.

GSM 
Weight in grams of a square meter of cloth.

HAND 
Softness or firmness of a fabric.

LAMINATE 
A layered fabric made by bonding scrims and/or taffetas to one or two plies of film.

MODULUS 
The measure of stretch or elasticity of a fabric. The number associated with modulus is the amount of load in grams it takes to initiate stretch in a 1000 denier yarn, a higher number reflects lower stretch.

POLYKOTE 
Contender's coated Dacron line, this term indicates a hard polyurethane coating for fabrics specifically used in racing. The Polykote finish produces a very firm, low bias stretch fabric.

POLYPREG 
Contender's impregnated Dacron line, this term indicates an impregnated melamine finish which can be varied to create a different hand and bias of a fabric.

PRIMARY YARN DIRECTION 
The orientation (warp or fill) in which a fabric is the most stretch resistant.

RIPSTOP 
Integrally woven pattern of heavier yarns within a fabric to restrict tear and crazing.

SAILMAKERS (SM. OZ.) WEIGHT 
Weight of a 36" x 28.5" sample.

SCRIM 
Non woven, formed sheet of un crimped yarns held together with resin.

TAFFETA 
A light woven fabric used on laminates to add durability and abrasion resistance

TENACITY 
The breaking strength of a yarn or fabric stated in force per unit of the cross-sectional area.

TENSILE STRENGTH 
The ability of a fibre, yarn or fabric to resist breaking under tension.

THREADLINE 
The direction of the yarns, either in the warp or the fill direction.

WARP 
The yarn or fibre running the length of a fabric.