Fabric Yield
Measurement of the mass per unit area of a textile fabric establishes the foundational basis for determining material density and commercial yields in woven goods. For linen finishing plants, areal weight specifies the grams per square meter of the completed fabric after bleaching and tentering. This metric dictates the classification of the cloth as lightweight apparel material or heavy household canvas, establishing the boundary where lighter weights represent finer, more expensive yarn inputs.
Measurement Technique
Verification protocols require the extraction of circular sample swatches from different points across the fabric width to obtain an average value. Weighing these swatches on a calibrated balance determines the areal weight under standard atmospheric conditions of temperature and relative humidity. In Chinese linen mills, this evaluation occurs before the final winding to ensure consistency between the start and end of a production run.
Variations in moisture regain can alter the observed mass, so bone-dry measurements combined with standard allowances provide the official basis for commercial documentation. The resulting data are recorded on the mill’s internal laboratory sheet before being transferred to the export certificate.
Acceptance Standard
Contractual tolerances restrict the deviation of the delivered lot from the agreed specification to a tight percentage band. If the areal weight falls below the acceptable limit, the fabric is downgraded to seconds. This parameter is recorded on the final shipment certificate as a binding proof of quality.
