What you need to know about NONWOVEN

Executive Overview

Nonwoven textiles sounds like an oxymoron to many people who think of textiles as the traditional knitted or , but in reality, nonwoven textiles are ubiquitous in daily living. A variety of manufacturing processes enables nonwoven manufacturers to create a product with a unique combination of performance characteristics that meets the needs of medical, agricultural, surgical, consumer product, food and beverage, industrial, construction, automotive and municipal users.

Basic Description of Nonwovens

Nonwoven textiles are fabrics created through a bonding process rather than through the traditional interlacing of fabric threads or . While a nonwoven fabric may be constructed of entangled , the fibers are bonded through mechanical, chemical or thermal methods. Traditional textiles consist of fibers spun into yarn and then knitted or interwoven in a structured pattern.

Nonwoven fabrics often include a chemical or plastic additive that changes the properties of the finished product. The additives may impart additional strength or absorption to the textile or it may affect the appearance or feel of the finished product.

The ability to affect the characteristics of the finished fabric through the choice of process and additives enables nonwoven textiles to be effective in a variety of uses. Uses include disposables, such as wipes or surgical masks, or applications that require strength and durability, such as furniture cushions or backings.

In general, the right combination of , additives and process can create a unique textile with a specific balance of any of the following characteristics:

• Washability • Softness or stiffness • Barriers to insects or bacteria • Strength and stretch • Padding or cushioning • Resilience and abrasion resistance • Flame retarding or heat resistant • Resistance to mold or mildew • Absorbing or repelling liquids • Permeability

The almost infinite variability of the characteristics of nonwoven textiles makes them suitable for a variety of medical, agricultural, consumer and industrial processes, but ensuring that the nonwoven fabric has the optimum characteristics for a particular purpose requires a detailed knowledge of the process’ possibilities. Engineers charged with specifying nonwoven textiles for any application should ensure that they work with a nonwoven textile company that provides excellent customer service and advice.

Processes

The process of creating nonwoven textiles varies depending on the desire characteristics of the finished fabric. Staple Process The length of the fiber affects the properties of the finished fabric. For the staple process, fiber lengths vary from approximately ¼ inch to 4 inches in length, depending on the fiber properties such as weight or stiffness, and the desired characteristics of the final product. Longer lengths tend to produce stronger materials due to the greater entanglement of the fibers. After cutting to length, the fibers are bundled into bales. Using either carding or a wetlaid process, the manufacturing process spreads the fibers evenly across the conveyer belt. As the belt moves the fibers, they may be mixed, overlaid or sprinkled with or powdered chemical additives that impart the desired characteristics to the finished product. The belt moves the fibers through a press or roller, which bonds the fibers using either pressure, heat or a combination of both to form the finished textile

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Processes

Felting Felting is an ancient process that bonds fibers by punching them rapidly and continuously with notched needles until the fibers become fully matted and entangled. Felting results in nonwoven textiles with a wide variety of characteristics depending on the material and the degree of felting. Felting may be done as either a wet or a dry process. Felted materials offer excellent sound and shock absorption, so they are often used in machinery to deaden noise or absorb vibration, or in packaging and cushioning to prevent damage due to shock. Felted materials are also used in musical instruments, apparel and crafts.

Spunlaid Spunlaid textiles are manufactured in a continuous process from fibers that are blown by air or deflectors onto a conveyor. Spunlaid textiles are often cheaper and faster to produce because of the simplicity of the process, and the resulting textiles have virtually unlimited uses. Spunlaid textiles are used in surgical gowns, consumer disposables, linings and interfaces for clothing and a variety of other products. In some cases, spunlaid textiles undergo further processing to bind them to meltblown nonwovens, resulting in a hybrid product known as SMS textiles. SMS textiles combine superior strength and filtration capabilities, making them ideal for use in many products.

Meltblown Meltblown nonwovens involve extruding or other chemicals through the fibers using a spinet or die that applies the polymer in a specific pattern. This results in long fibers, which are cooled and stretched as they pass from the conveyer. Meltblown textiles work well where strength is not as important as fine filtration. Meltblown nonwovens work well for facemasks, where they can filter bacteria or fine particulate without impeding the flow of air. They are also used in a variety of agricultural and industrial processes as disposable filters.

Bonding Almost all nonwoven textiles undergo heat or chemical bonding that determines the ultimate characteristics and uses. These may include: • Oven curing • (or spunbonding) • Heat sealing • • Needle punching • Ultrasonic bonding • Chemical bonding The specific process used will vary depending on the ultimate purpose for the textile as well as the manufacturer’s capabilities.

Additional processes After bonding, most nonwoven textiles will be rolled or baled. One advantage of nonwoven textiles is that although they can be made in very wide widths, they can be easily cut down to adapt to the capabilities of additional processing equipment used to create the finished product. When selecting a nonwoven textile partner, you will want to be sure they offer the process and products you need, as well as the additional services necessary to prepare the nonwoven textile for processing in your facility. In general, a high-quality nonwoven manufacturing partner will offer the following additional processes to prepare your non-woven textiles. • Die-cutting • Perforating • Slitting • Commission thermoplastic adhesive coating

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Best Uses Depending on the process, the coatings and the bonding, nonwoven textiles may be used for almost any purpose. Many lay people and even engineers are surprised at the variety of use cases for nonwoven textiles. Examples include: • Vacuum cleaner filters • Frost protection • Clean room filters • Insulation • Allergy air filters • Surgical drapes and covers • Oil and gasoline filters • Furniture cushions and decorative pillow casings • Water filters for home and camping use • Disposable • Coffee filters • Surgical scrub suits • Tea • Batting for quilts and coverlets • Dehumidifiers • Tablecloth backing • Adhesive bandages and medical packing • Napkins • Automotive parts, including vibration and • Capet backing noise abatement devices • Feminine hygiene products • Musical instruments • Caps and bill or brim stiffeners • Mattress pads and protectors • Industrial wipes • Anti-dust mite or bedbug bedding materials • Medicinal wipes • Isolation gowns • Baby wipes • Linings and interfacings for clothing and apparel • Impregnated cleaning products such as • Surgical stainless steel or granite cleaner wipes • Erosion control and soil underlayment • Medical packaging • Drainage systems • Personal hygiene wipes • Surgical gowns • Industrial filters • Consumer and medical face masks • Roofing underlayment • Mailing • Whole house wraps • Tarps, tenting and transportation wrapping • Packaging and shipping materials • Disposable clothing • Dairy and food filtration • Weather resistant house wrap • Frost protection • Cleanroom wipes • Municipal water supply filtration • Clean room clothing • Dusting, floor cleaning and furniture polishing • Disposable tarps for painting • Nail polish and makeup removal pads • Picture framing backing materials

Resources

Several industry organizations and professional educational consortiums exist to help educate engineers and practitioners on the nonwoven process. You may find additional information about nonwoven textiles, or training in the processes from the following organizations: INDA INDA is the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry. Located in Cary, NC, INDA offers a variety of resources to people interested in nonwoven textiles. Resources range from basic explanations of the various nonwoven production processes to a glossary of relevant terms. They also post information about pending legislation, industry issues and industry conferences or education programs. One of INDA’s most valuable offerings is their research on the nonwoven textiles market.

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The Nonwovens Institute: The Nonwovens Institute is a research facility at NC State University. It sponsors the world’s first academically accredited program in nonwoven textile technology. The NWI has a fully functioning research lab with state of the art equipment for extrusion, polymer research and meltdown, needle punching, hydroentangling and other advanced technologies. The NWI makes its facilities available for pilot testing of new processes and offers a variety of educational programs for engineers or anyone interested in nonwoven textiles.

Conclusion

With the incredible variety of uses that nonwoven textiles can fulfill, you more than likely come into contact with a nonwoven textile product several times each day. If you are wondering whether a nonwoven textile can solve a problem that requires absorbance, filtration, sterility, strength, softness, abrasion resistance or a host of other characteristics, the answer is more than likely yes. By varying the process and the characteristics of the product, nonwoven textiles offer a range of capabilities that make them an ideal solution for many design problems. They are cost effective, non-polluting and readily available. All that remains is to talk to a knowledgeable nonwoven textile manufacturing company about exactly which grade of material best meets your needs.

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