Melt Blend

See BICONSTITUENT FIBER.

Melt blowing

A process in which a polymer is melt-extruded through a die into a high velocity stream of hot air which converts it into fine and relatively short fibres. After quenching by a cold air stream the fibres are collected as a sheet on a moving screen.

Melt fracture

An unstable melt-spinning condition in which the surface of the extrudate becomes rough and irregular

Melt Index

The weight in grams of a thermoplastic material that can be forced through a standard orifice within a specified time.

Melt spinning (manufactured fibre production)

The conversion of a molten polymer into filaments by extrusion and subsequent cooling of the extrudate.

Melt Viscosity

The resistance of molten polymer to shear deformation. It is primarily a factor of intrinsic viscosity and temperature. It is an apparent polymer viscosity measurement in that it is only true at a specific shear stress and shear rate combination.

Melt-Dyed

See DYEING Mass-Colored.

Melt-spun

Descriptive of manufactured filaments produced by melt-spinning.

Melting Point

The temperature at which the solid and liquid states of a substance are in equilibrium; generally the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.

Melton

A heavy-weight fabric, all-wool, oj. with cotton warp and woollen weft, which is finished by heavy milling and cropping. The fibres in the cloth are tightly matted together by the milling process, and this gives the fabric a felted appearance. It is usually made in a 2/2 twill, especially if all-wool, but it is sometimes made in other weaves to facilitate milling and the covering of the cotton warp.

Meltonette

A lightweight fabric which resembles melton cloth, and is used for women's wear.

Melusine finish

A lustrous finish produced on felt hoods or bodies by brushing with selected compounds sue]] as an acrylic resin dispersion.

Mending

The insertion of yarn into a woven fabric where the warp or weft is missing and also the correction of other faults by means of needlework, e.g., stitching. This is a skilled manual needlework operation.

Mending (textile floorcoverings)

The rectification of the face and back of a carpet after manufacture including inserting missing tufts replacing faulty ones, and repairing broken yarns in the backing. Also known as 'mending'.

Mercerization

The treatment of cellulosic textiles in yarn or fabric form with a concentrated solution of caustic alkali whereby the fibres are swollen, the strength and dye affinity of the materials are increased, and their handle is modified. The process takes its name from its discoverer, John Mercer (1844). The additional effect of enhancing the lustre by stretching the swollen materials while wet with caustic alkali and then washing off was discovered by Horace Lowe (1889). The modem process of mercerization involves both swelling in caustic alkalis and stretching to enhance the lustre, to increase colour yield and cotton yarn strength. A related process, liquid ammonia treatment, produces some of the effects of mercerization. In chain mercerizing, shrinkage in fabric width is allowed, followed by re-stretching and washing on a clip-stenter. In chainless mercerizing, the fabric is effectively prevented from shrinking by transporting over rotating drums. hot mercerization The treatment of ceiltilosic fabric with a hot concentrated solution of caustic alkali to facilitate uniform penetration prior to cooling and stretching etc., so as to improve the degree of mercerization.post mercerization (linen)Crease resistant linen fabrics may be produced by treatment with urea formaldehyde resin followed by a mercerizing treatment to confer durability and supplciless.slack mercerizationMercerizing of a fabric in absence of tension, or under reduced tension.
Note., After washing-off, the fabric remains in the shrunken condition, and consequently a high degree of yarn crimp is obtained and the fabric becomes more extensible. There are two reasons for operating this process: to produce a stretch fabric or as part of the process for crease resisting linen. Dye absorption is increased but lustre is not.