Drape is measured by resting a circle of fabric on a smaller disk and measuring the shadow of the hanging overhang; the drape coefficient is that shadow area as a share of the flat overhang, so a lower figure means a softer fall. Low bending stiffness, light bonding and fine fibers improve it, while heavy binder and high bond area reduce it. Medical gown and drape makers watch it closely because a stiff gown is tiring to wear.
Gown fabric passes barrier but the surgeons say it doesn't drape, it stands off the body like paper.
Also heard as
- drape coefficient
- drapability
Related terms
Hand
How a fabric feels to the touch: softness, smoothness, stiffness, drape and warmth taken together.
Boardy
Describes a nonwoven that feels stiff, harsh and papery, usually from over-bonding.
SMS
Spunbond-meltblown-spunbond: a three-layer composite of strong spunbond outer layers around a meltblown barrier core.
Bond area
Percentage of a point-bonded fabric's surface covered by fused bond points.