Glossary

Click on a letter to see an explanation of technical terms beginning with that letter.

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Sources:
Definitions in this glossary have been compiled based on DuPont's experience and technical expertise in protective apparel as well as a number of external sources, including: "Glossary of terms and definitions by the European Committee for Standardisation."

S
Term Explanation
Satin weave One of the 3 basic weaves (plain, satin and twill) in which the weft yarn floats over a number of warp yarns. Satin weaves generally have a smooth and lustrous surface.
Seam A permanent junction between two or more pieces of material.
Seam strength An often neglected but still critical part of garment manufacture. If sewing threads have a lower decomposition temperature than the fabric, this may reduce the level of protection offered by the garment. Sewing threads of NOMEX® and KEVLAR® brand fibres are available.
Second degree burn See Burns.
Sewing threads An often neglected but still critical part of garment manufacture. If sewing threads have a lower decomposition temperature than the fabric, this may reduce the level of protection offered by the garment. Sewing threads of NOMEX® and KEVLAR® brand fibres are available.
Shrinkage See Thermal shrinkage and Wash shrinkage.
SONTARA® DuPont registered trademark for its family of spunlaced fabrics, as well as the technology used to make them. The DuPont developed non-woven process yields a product that is both durable and soft, comfortable and lightweight. The spunlaced fabric’s softness and bulk comes from the hydraulic interlacing of the fibres (standard processes in the production of non-wovens use chemical or thermal bonding systems). SONTARA® fabrics offer high bulk and uniformity, whilst using up to 50% less fibre than woven fabrics. These factors help to make SONTARA® fabrics the ideal choice for thermal insulation, particularly for liners and/or thermal barriers.
Source lists See Where to buy or Contact us for further information.
Splash-protective suit A one-piece or multi-piece garment that is constructed of protective clothing materials, designed and configured to protect the wearer’s body, head, arms and legs against liquid splashes of hazardous chemicals.
Spun yarns Refers to yarns, which have been drawn and twisted from staple into the finished product.
Spunbonded Olelfin Spunbonded olefin is manufactured via a proprietary process in which fine polyolefin fibres are randomly distributed on a moving belt and thermally bonded to produce a sheet structure.
Spunbonded Polypropylene (SBPP) SBPP fabrics are a generic class of non-woven materials made of polypropylene with minimal barrier properties used in low-cost, disposable commodity applications such as diapers.
Spunbonded-Meltblown-Spunbonded (SMS) SMS fabrics are generic non-woven. SMS fabrics consist of a thin layer of small meltblown fibres sandwiched between layers of spunbonded polypropylene.
Stability to heat This test simulates storing conditions at elevated temperatures where suits may stick together. It also gives some hints on the performance of the garment if a hot surface is touched.
Staple or ’staple fibres’ Short length fibre which are opened, carded, drawn and twisted into a spun yarn for use in woven or knitted materials.
Steady state permeation The permeation rate has reached a maximum and continues at that maximum. It occurs after breakthrough when the chemical contact is continuous and all forces affecting permeation have reached equilibrium.
Sterile Free from viable micro-organisms.
Stock dyeing Dyeing of fibres by spinner before spinning yarn.
Strength-to-weight ratio A measure of a material’s value based on the ratio of tensile strength to basis weight.
Stretch break Process of stretching a bundle of continuous filament yarns or tow under tension until the point at which they break. Stretch broken fibres are used like staple fibres to spin yarns. The stretch break process generally produces finer and stronger yarns than the conventional staple/ cotton or woollen spun route.
Substitution Microbe A non-pathogenic microorganism used in tests to replace a highly pathogenic microorganism.
Suit System A combination of a suit and any other products which are used in conjunction.
Surface resistance The resistance in Ohms as determined by using specified electrodes place on the surface of the material.
Surface resistivity The resistance in Ohms between two ring electrodes for a fabric at 23° C and 25% RH. The results are normalised via a geometrical factor for the electrodes. The resulting data are referred to as specific resistivity.
Surrogate A less hazardous, less expensive substitute material that acts similarly as the hazardous material of interest. In protective clothing testing, non-hazardous surrogates are sometimes used in place of hazardous materials to keep risks as low as possible.
Surrogate microbe A non-pathogenic micro-organism used in testing as a substitute for a highly pathogenic micro-organism.
Synthetic blood A mixture of red dye surfactant, thickening agent, micron sized latex particles and distilled water having a surface tension and viscosity, and a red colour representative of blood and other body fluids, making it more suitable for visible detection.
Synthetic blood A mixture of red dye surfactant, thickening agent, micron sized latex particles and distilled water having a surface tension and viscosity, and a red colour representative of blood and other body fluids, making it more suitable for visible detection.