ESD Flooring Terminology

Ff

Face Weight
The total weight of the face (above the backing) yarns in the carpet. Typically, this is expressed in ounces per square yard.

Fadeometer
A device used to test fading of yarns, carpets, fibers, and other materials. This device uses gas, light or ozone to conduct the fading tests.

Fading
Gradual loss of color caused by sunlight or artificial light, atmospheric gases including ozone, nitrogen dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, cleaning and bleaching chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, and other household and industrial products. Commercial flooring installations in areas where such exposures occur require proper care in selection of colorfast carpet.

Fading tests
Laboratory tests designed to predict the likelihood of carpet fading under actual use conditions. Fading is usually caused either by ultraviolet light or by exposure to ozone gas. Carpet can be tested in laboratory fadeometers for results against fading agents. Dye stuff, hue or fiber can affect fading. A specific carpet being considered for a critical installation should be tested prior to final selection.

Fiber
A unit of matter, either natural or manmade, that forms the basic element of carpet. The term refers to units that can be spun, plied or air-tangled into a yarn and can be processed by weaving, tufting, knitting or fusion bonding into a carpet. Important properties include recovery, bulk, cover, uniformity, durability, soil resistance, luster, dyeability and denier.

Fiber Engineering
Refers to improvements to the fiber including: polymer characteristics, polymer additives (delusterant or solution dye pigments), cross section design, and fiber finishes (low surface energy fluorochemical coatings for soil release).

Fiber Shape
Refers to the cross section and size of individual filaments. Fiber shape impacts soil hiding and soil release (cleanability).

Fiber Size
Refers to the denier per filament (dpf) or thickness of a filament.

Filament
Fiber which has been extruded and is then converted into yarn fiber, staple, or tow.

Filament Count
The number of individual filaments that make up a thread or yarn.

Finishing
A general term referring to the processing of carpets after tufting, weaving and dyeing. Processes include application of secondary backing, application of attached foam cushion, application of soil-resistant treatment, shearing, brushing, dying, printing and others.

Flame Resistance Tests
(also known as Flammability tests.) Procedures that have been developed for assessing the flame resistance of carpets. The most commonly accepted are: Methenamine Pill Test - A carpet flammability test described in federal regulations CPSC 1-70 and CPSC 2-70. It measures the size of burn hole produced by an ignited methenamine tablet. Also used on the back of carpet. All carpet sold in the U.S. must pass the CPSC 1-70 flammability test. Radiant Panel Test - A test for the flammability of carpets or rugs in which the specimen is mounted on the floor of the test chamber and exposed to intense radiant heat from above. The rate of flame spread is assessed. (ASTM-E-648 Class I .45 watts/cm; Class II .22 watts/cm.)

Flame-Resistant
A material that burns slowly or is self-extinguishing after removal of an external source of ignition. A fabric or yarn can be flame resistant because of the innate properties of the fiber, the twist level of the yarn, the fabric construction, or the presence of flame retardants, or because of a combination of these factors.

Fluorine Analysis
A measurement of the amount of soil resistance chemical (fluorochemical) applied to the fiber during the carpet manufacturing process. This can be performed for the initial application of the fluorochemical as well as for the durability of the chemical to remain after hot water extraction cleaning.

Fluorochemical soil/stain repellent
Fabric protectors designed to reduce soiling and repell water and oil based stains.

Foot Traffic Units
One foot traffic unit is described as a pedestrian walking across a measured section of carpet, one time. Foot traffic is classified as follows:

• Light: less than 50/day
• Moderate: 50–200/day
• Heavy: 200–2000/day
• Extra Heavy: more than 2000/day
  See individual traffic rating for details.

Frames
A general term used for many yarn manufacturing machines. For example: Racks at back of a Wilton loom that hold spools from which yarns are fed into the loom. Each frame holds separate colors, so a three-frame Wilton would have three colors in the design.

Frieze

1. A yarn that has been very tightly twisted to give a rough or nubby appearance to the finished carpet pile.
2. A cut-pile carpet made of highly twisted yarns normally plied and heatset. A kinked or curly yarn effect is achieved.

Fusion Bonding
Fabrication technique for manufacturing carpet for a 6’-wide or modular tile. It uses a thermoplastic process tuft that implants yarn backing in a liquid vinyl knife compound to two backing materials in a sandwich configuration. A knife splits the sandwich to create two carpets simultaneously. Spun yarn is used in this process, and only cut pile carpets are produced.

Fuzzing
A hairy effect on the carpet surface caused by fibers working loose under foot traffic or by slack yarn twist. This can be caused by poor latex penetration, poor yarn spinning, poor twisting and heatsetting, or improper carpet and cleaning. Not to be confused with initial shedding, a normal phenomenon associated with spun cut pile construction.

General Carpet Flooring Terms & Definitions

The following are terms and definitions relating to carpet manufacturing.

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Antistatic ESD Flooring Terms & Definitions

The following are terms and definitions specific to ESD Flooring.

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