In the
textile industry, a tow (or hards) is a coarse, broken fibre, removed during processing
flax,
hemp, or
jute[1] and separated from the
shives. Flax tows are often used as
upholstery stuffing and
oakum. Tows in general are frequently cut up to produce
staple fibre. The very light color of flax tow is the source of the word "
towhead", meaning a person with naturally light blond hair.[2]
Spread tow fabrics are woven sheet materials, used for composite layup, where the warp and weft are flat tows, rather than spun yarns, in order to provide the maximum strength as a composite.
References
^"Tow". Glossary of Colonial Terms. History Online. September 15, 2007. Archived from
the original on 2007-09-15.
^"Towhead". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
^Vasiliev, Valery V.; Morozov, Evgeny V. (2013). Advanced Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structural Elements (3rd ed.). Elsevier Science. p. 15.
ISBN978-0080982670.