Key Terms & Concepts
Your Guide to Composite Terminology
In the world of high-performance composites, language can be complex. This glossary provides quick, clear definitions of key terms we use across TeXtreme® materials, applications, and manufacturing solutions.
- Material & Fiber Types
- Fabric Construction
- Mechanical Properties
- Manufacturing Terms
- Basic Composite Concepts
- Application & Design Concepts
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Aramides
High-strength synthetic fibers known for toughness, energy absorption and thermal stability. Used in TeXtreme® Woven Spread Tow fabrics to improve durability and impact resistance.
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Carbon Fiber
A material made of thin, strong crystalline filaments of carbon atoms bonded in long chains. Extremely stiff, strong and light, used in TeXtreme® fabrics to deliver superior strength toweight performance with minimal crimp and enhanced surface quality.
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Ductile Fibers
Tough, flexible fibers that absorb energy and resist breaking under impact—used to improve durability in composites.
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Flax Fiber
The strongest among natural cellulose fibers, extracted from the stem of the flax plant. Used in TeXtreme® Bio-based Flax fabrics to offer sustainable reinforcement with low weight and good mechanical performance.
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HM (High Modulus) Carbon Fiber
A very stiff carbon fiber with a high elastic modulus, ideal for applications requiring maximum rigidity and minimal deformation, such as aerospace or precision equipment.
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HS (High-Strength) Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber with very high tensile strength and good toughness. Commonly used for sports and structural applications where durability and impact resistance are important.
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IM (Intermediate Modulus) Carbon Fiber
A balanced carbon fiber offering both strength and stiffness. Often used when performance and weight savings must be optimized without sacrificing flexibility.
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Hybrid Fiber
A fabric combining multiple fiber types to balance stiffness, toughness and vibration control. TeXtreme® Hybrid fabrics enhance strength and durability in demanding applications.
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PP (Polypropylene)
A lightweight thermoplastic fiber with good chemical resistance and low moisture absorption. Used in TeXtreme® Hybrid fabrics to reduce weight and improve drapeability.
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PBO (Polybenzoxazole)
An ultra-strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber with superior tensile strength and fatigue resistance. Used in TeXtreme® Hybrid fabrics for extreme performance under demanding conditions.
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UHMWPE (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene)
A very tough, low-density fiber with excellent wear resistance and low friction. Used in TeXtreme® Hybrid fabrics for lightweight reinforcement with outstanding durability.
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What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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Core
A lightweight material placed between composite skins to increase thickness and stiffness without adding much weight. Commonly used in sandwich structures.
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Face Sheet
The outer layer of a sandwich composite, bonded to a core. TeXtreme® materials are used as high-performance face sheets to improve stiffness, strength and surface finish.
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Lattice Structure
A fabric pattern featuring open grid-like geometry. In TeXtreme® Grid materials, this structure enhances torsional stiffness and allows for radio transparency in lightweight composite skins.
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Monolithic Structure
A composite made from a single continuous laminate without a core. TeXtreme® reinforcements in monolithic parts provide thin, strong solutions where compactness and simplicity are key.
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Out-of-Autoclave (OoA)
A manufacturing method where composites are cured without the use of an autoclave. TeXtreme® Gapped UD is designed for efficient resin infusion and high performance in out-of-autoclave processes.
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Sandwich Skin
The outer structural layer in a sandwich composite, bonded to a core material. TeXtreme® Spread Tow fabrics are used as sandwich skins to combine lightweight design with high stiffness and durability.
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What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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-
Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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Discontinuous Fiber Composites (360°)
A type of reinforcement made from randomly oriented, chopped fiber tapes. TeXtreme® 360° combines in-plane isotropy with high mechanical performance, offering excellent drapeability, formability and strength in all directions.
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Spread Tow
TeXtreme® Spread Tow Technology flattens fiber tows into wide, thin tapes with minimal crimp. This improves fiber alignment, reduces resin content and enables lighter, stiffer and more structurally efficient composites.
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Thin-Ply
Ultra-thin layers of composite reinforcement, typically below 0.05 mm in thickness. TeXtreme® Thin-Ply Technology improves damage tolerance, reduces weight and allows for more precise laminate design.
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UD (Unidirectional) Tapes
Reinforcements where all fibers are aligned in a single orientation. TeXtreme® Spread Tow UD tapes offer maximum strength and stiffness along the fiber direction while enabling ultra-light, efficient composite laminates.
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Woven Material
A reinforcement made by interlacing fiber tapes in two orientations, typically 0/90 or +/-45. TeXtreme® Woven Spread Tow fabrics provide balanced stiffness, improved drapeability and efficient lay-up for high-performance composite structures.
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Fiber Stiffness
A measure of a fiber’s resistance to deformation under load, defined by the product of its elastic modulus (E) and cross-sectional area (A). In TeXtreme® fabrics, fiber stiffness contributes directly to laminate rigidity, as the use of straight, uncrimped fibers ensures that each fiber carries load efficiently.
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In-plane Isotropy
A condition where mechanical properties are uniform in all in-plane directions. TeXtreme® 360° materials achieve in-plane isotropy through randomly oriented fiber tapes, improving strength and stiffness regardless of load direction.
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Tensile Strength
The maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched. Carbon fibers offer high tensile strength, critical for structural performance.
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Torsional Stiffness
The ability to resist twisting under load. TeXtreme® +/-45° fabrics are specifically engineered to improve torsional performance.
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Composite
A material made by combining fibers (reinforcement) with a resin (matrix) to form a stronger structure than either component alone.
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Crimp
The waviness in fibers caused by traditional weaving. TeXtreme® Spread Tow minimizes crimp to improve performance and reduce resin usage.
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Fiber Volume Fraction (FVF)
The ratio of fiber to resin in a composite. Higher FVF typically leads to better mechanical performance.
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Automated Fiber Placement (AFP)
A robotic process that places UD tapes in precise orientations for efficient composite manufacturing. TeXtreme® UD tapes are optimized for AFP with binders that enable smooth processing and scalable production.
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Binder
A component added to dry fiber reinforcements to hold fibers in place before curing. In TeXtreme® materials, binders support preforming, stabilize fiber architecture and enable prepregging with minimal resin content.
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Formability
The ability of a fabric or tape to conform to complex shapes during lay-up without wrinkling or bridging. TeXtreme® Spread Tow fabrics offer excellent formability due to their thin, flat construction and minimal crimp.
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Lay-up
The process of layering fabrics into a mold before curing. Fabric orientation during lay-up impacts the final mechanical properties.
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Matrix
The matrix is the resin system in a composite material that surrounds and binds the reinforcing fibers together. It transfers loads between fibers, protects them from environmental damage, and defines the shape and surface finish of the composite.
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Prepreg
Pre-impregnated fabric with resin, ready for lay-up and curing. Offers controlled fiber-to-resin ratio and consistent quality.
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Reactive Binder
A dry binder that enables preforming and subsequent curing without traditional resin infusion. Helps create ultra-light prepregs with resin contents as low as 38%.
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What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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-
How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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-
Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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-
Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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-
What is Spread Tow Thin-Ply technology?
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-
How does TeXtreme differ from conventional carbon fiber?
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-
Do you offer coolers versions of TeXtreme?
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-
Can TeXtreme be used in high-temperature environment?
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