Aging

Description

The change in a material from exposure to natural environmental conditions over a lengthy period of time. Aging can be deleterious to many materials. Some materials, such as rubber, lose strength and crack due to oxidation. Light exposure may cause some paints and dyes to fade. Moisture can cause metals to corrode. However in other cases, aging can be beneficial. Cheese and wine can develop a sharper flavor or aroma over time. Steam aging is sometimes used in the manufacturing of textiles to fix the dye color.

Synonyms and Related Terms

ageing (Br.); Altern (Deut.); viellissement (Fr.); envelhecimento (Port.)

Authority

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990

• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988