Definition
Dimensional stability is the property of materials to retain their geometric dimensions — in particular length, width, and thickness — when exposed to moisture, temperature, mechanical stress, or the effects of time. In textiles, the term describes the degree to which a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or nonwoven retains or recovers its original dimensions after stress. High dimensional stability includes both low shrinkage and low swelling or distortion of the material. It is therefore a measure of the shape retention of a textile fabric throughout its entire use and care cycle.
Use in the textile industry
In the textile industry, dimensional stability is especially important for technical textiles, protective workwear, and home textiles, since dimensional accuracy after laundering, heat treatment, or mechanical stress directly affects functional performance. In the production of outerwear and occupational clothing, dimensional stability is controlled by appropriate fabric constructions, fiber selection, and finishing processes such as heat-setting or resin finishing. In garment manufacturing, the dimensional stability of interlinings and substrate materials is also critical to ensure that seams and constructions remain shape-retentive after washing or ironing.
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You have just looked up a single technical term. In textil trainer, you learn how textile materials, processes, and contexts are connected.
The free learning platform teaches textile fundamentals step by step in interactive online courses. Each online course includes its own glossary with the most important terms of the respective topic. Across all courses, more than 600 textile terms with narrated explanations are available.
textil trainer is developed together with the Chair of Textile Technologies at Chemnitz University of Technology, chemmedia AG, and companies and educational institutions from the textile sector.