ABSTRACT
The word ‘‘textiles’’ comes from the Latin textilis,
meaning ‘‘woven’’; but in textile science, textile is
defined as any product made from fibers. Thus tex-
tiles refers not only to woven fabrics but also to
nonwoven fabrics, knitted fabrics, tufted fabrics
such as carpets and bedspreads, and specially con-
structed fabrics [1]. Figure 34.1 depicts the major
segments and linkages of the textile industry, from
fibers to products. The textile mill portion of the
textile complex includes many chemical wet processes
such as slashing, dyeing, printing, latex bonding, and
finishing. In many of these processes, drying is re-
quired to remove the excess moisture in the porous
materials to produce the desired product. For ex-
ample, the typical steps used to produce latex-backed
tufted carpet are shown schematically in Figure 34.2.
