A reference for buyers and specifiers. Definitions of the terms you meet on PVC coated fabric datasheets, test reports and purchase orders.
Materials & coatings
| Term |
Meaning |
| PVC |
Polyvinyl chloride — the main coating polymer |
| TPU |
Thermoplastic polyurethane — elastic, cold-resistant, recyclable |
| TPO |
Thermoplastic polyolefin — chlorine-free, recyclable |
| PTFE |
Polytetrafluoroethylene — permanent architectural membrane |
| PVDF |
Polyvinylidene fluoride topcoat — 15–20 yr weather life |
| PVF |
Polyvinyl fluoride film — premium architectural finish |
| Acrylic |
standard self-cleaning topcoat |
| Scrim |
the woven/knitted base cloth the coating sits on |
Fabric & weight
| Term |
Meaning |
| GSM (g/m²) |
grams per square metre — fabric weight |
| Denier (D) |
yarn fineness — 9000 m weight in grams |
| Dtex |
yarn fineness — 10000 m weight in grams |
| Base cloth |
the polyester/glass scrim |
| Coating weight |
grams of PVC per m² |
Performance
| Term |
Meaning |
| Tensile strength |
breaking force (N/5cm) |
| Tear strength |
resistance to tearing (N/5cm) |
| Peel / adhesion |
coating-to-cloth bond (N/5cm) |
| Hydrostatic head |
water-pressure resistance (mm) |
| Light transmittance |
% of daylight passed (membrane) |
Processes
| Term |
Meaning |
| Knife coating |
liquid PVC scraped onto cloth — best waterproofing |
| Calendering |
PVC fused under hot rollers — flat finish |
| Lamination |
PVC films hot-bonded to scrim — best print |
| Drop stitch |
threads bonding two skins — rigid inflatables |
| HF welding |
high-frequency seam welding |
Standards & compliance
| Term |
Meaning |
| REACH |
EU chemicals regulation |
| EN 13501-1 |
EU reaction-to-fire class (B1) |
| DIN 4102 B1 |
German building fire class |
| M2 |
French fire class |
| NFPA 701 |
US textile flame test |
| CPAI-84 |
US tent flammability |
| EN 71-3 |
EU toy-safety heavy metals |
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