Glossary - Introduction to Polymeric Composites with Rice Hulls - page 152

Elongation - the percentage of its original length to which a specially shaped
sample will stretch.
Emulsifiers - additives to a formulation that help in stabilising a mixture between
the time of mixing and pouring.
Emulsion - a suspension of fine droplets of one liquid in another.
Equivalent weight - the molecular weight of a chemical divided by the number of
functional groups.
Exothermic - heat-giving/generating chemical reaction (e.g. urethane foam
reaction).
Extruder - a machine with a screw for heating and mixing polymers.
Extrusion die - a die with a profiled orifice set in an extrusion head.
F
Fast heat - intense heat supplied to a mould to improve the skin quality and
physical properties of a product.
Fast heat oven - an oven that can supply the intense heat required for the 'fast
heat' process.
Fibre - natural or synthetic fibres such as rice hulls, hemp and wood fibres.
Fibre flour - a very fine powder (e.g. rice hulls, wood fibres).
Filler - an inert material added to a foam formulation to reduce costs/change
physical properties.
Filter - a device used to remove unwanted particles from liquid chemical streams.
Fine cells - foam cells having a cell count of >80 per linear inch.
Fixed calibration time - process of metering chemical liquids by a time limit
(usually in seconds).
Fixed ratio - having all components with a fixed throughput without variations.
Flak - a slang term used to describe many small splits scattered widely.
Flame lamination - sticking together composites and other material by heating/
melting.
Flame retardant - composite material imparting a certain degree of resistance and
slow burning.
Flammability - degree of burning in various situations.
Flaps - usually semi-circular internal blows or voids on the skin surface and
connected inside also.
Flashing - continual release of tiny bubbles of gas in a continuous foaming process.
Flex fatigue - the loss of physical properties of a composite sample undergoing
continuous flexing.
Flow lines - pattern of high-density streaks or ridges radiating from bottom of
composite.
Flow meter - device used to gauge the flow of liquids.
Flow rate - quantity of chemicals delivered to metering port.
Foam - material produced with a gas reaction with open or closed cells.