Everything You Need to Know About Non-Woven Fabric Properties

Non-woven fabric is no longer an afterthought in industries in the modern world. They are vital in healthcare, hygiene, automobiles, air and liquid filtrations, packaging, agriculture, among others. Non-wovens are functional fabrics, unlike traditional woven or knit textiles; they are engineered with a purpose in mind.

They are economical, high-performance, and highly adjustable, with distinctive benefits such as manageable porosity, liquid resistance/ absorption capacity, softness, and strength. These are the qualities that make non-wovens a perfect solution to industry pain-points, like having instances of disposable protective equipment, high-efficiency filters, and low-weight vehicle components.

This article takes a deep dive into the properties, production processes, and comparisons of the materials with conventional textiles. It will enable the materials engineers, designers, and purchasers to make an informed decision.

What Is Non-Woven Fabric?

A sheet/web of fibers, bonded rather than woven or knitted. Unlike yarn-based products, non-wovens are manufactured through direct processes where fibers that are natural-based (such as viscose) or synthetic (such as polypropylene or polyester) are combined using only one or many bonding methods.

The technique enables the manufacturer to correctly regulate performance requirements of the fabric, including thickness, texture, filtration efficiency, fluid repellency, strength, and biodegradability. The outcome is a very versatile material that can be fabricated to suit the specific requirements of the applications exactly.

Key Characteristics:

• No yarns, weaving, or knitting
• May be disposable or robust
• Great level of customization and flexibility
• Applied both in the industrial and commercial sectors

Common Non-Woven Fabric Bonding Methods

Non-wovens are not just one kind of cloth but a wide category comprising various bonding technologies. Altogether, the various bonding techniques provide new characteristics to the cloth and a variety of uses.

1. Thermal Bonding

It involves the use of heat to fuse thermoplastic fibers, i.e., PP or PET, to form a robust, uniform fabric as the bonding fibers melt and fuse where they are in contact. It is highly efficient, economically viable, and makes light and rigid materials that are used in hygiene products (diapers, sanitary pads), insulation, and interlinings.

2. Chemical Bonding

The chemical bonding method of the adhesives includes materials like latex or acrylic, which are deposited in the webs of the fibers, bonded together by using heat or UV curing of the adhesives. This technique introduces rigidity and construction, which makes it appropriate in the eprint of wet wipes, filters, disposable tableware, and in some medical textiles.

3. Mechanical Bonding

Mechanical bonding causes fibers to become entangled by physical methods, i.e., needle-punching and hydroentanglement (Spunlace). The end product is soft but strong materials that have the texture of a textile, found in car liners, car underlays, cleaning cloths, and disposable medical gowns.

Core Properties of Non-Woven Fabric

All kinds of non-woven materials are customized to certain functionalities. The following are the major attributes that determine its application in various industries.

1. Power and Stability

Available non-wovens, spunbond and thermal-bonded, have good tensile strength and thus will be proper to support challenging applications such as reusable bags, car linings, and roofing layers. This strength keeps products intact under stress, making replacements less necessary.

2. Lightweight and High Porosity

Such fabrics may be produced with a weight of ~10 g/m 2 and be breathable and porous. They are great face masks, gowns, and crop covers, allowing comfort and airflow that does not interfere with protection, ideal for wear or in an environmental application.

3. Strong Filtration Efficiency

Meltblown non-wovens provide higher bacteria, particle, and oil filtration. They have already been used in N95 masks, air purifiers, and the absorbent configuration, so they are widely used to provide high performance in the field of safety and hygiene regarding single-use.

4. Absorbency or Liquid Resistance (Customizable)

Non-wovens can be designed either to repel fluids, hydrophobic, such as non-wovens treated with water-resistant finishes, or absorb them, hydrophilic, such as non-wovens impregnated with liquid-absorbing additives. This elasticity is applicable to such products as diapers, wipes, and medical pads that are responsive to fluid management.

5. Thermal and Chemical Resistance

Some non-wovens can withstand temperatures over 150 °C, some can even withstand abusive chemicals, so they are a good choice as a filtration and insulation medium, and in industrial lining. These qualities increase the safety and durability of the products in harsh conditions.

6. Biodegradability and Eco-Friendliness

Non-wovens can be made of PLA and viscose, both of which are compostable, to achieve sustainable objectives in hygiene and packaging. They assist in fulfilling environmental standards and in the increasing demand amongst consumers for environmentally friendly items.

Types of Non-Woven Fabrics and Their Specific Properties

The following are the different types of Non-woven fabric along with their specifications;

Customizability of Non-Woven Fabrics

Non-woven fabrics can be adapted to a unique set of requirements, which makes them an extraordinary option in any industry that needs a specific performance. During the manufacturing process, fiber diameter, density (GSM), porosity, surface texture, absorbency, and color can be accurately fine-tuned by the manufacturer- there is no need to perform a costly post-treatment.

Spunbond and meltblown can be used together (SMS structure) in medical gowns as an effective combination of fluid resistance and breathability in a single product. This flexibility enables buyers to determine specific specifications according to end-use: whether softness in baby wipes and rigidity in car insulation, etc., with improved product efficiency, minimized material waste, and lower cost.

Non-Woven vs Traditional Fabrics: Performance Comparison

Below is a performance table that shows data comparing commonly used non-woven types to standard woven and knitted fabrics:

How Non-Woven Properties Mitigate Pain Points in the Industry

Let’s discuss these points below;

• Healthcare and Hygiene: Meltblown and spunlace non-wovens can be used in sterile, breathable, and disposable solutions as a mask, gown, and wipes.
• Automotive: Thermal-bonded and needle-punched non-woven materials are used to supply lightweight, heat-resistant vehicle interior insulation.
• Filtration: Meltblown non-wovens produced with nanofibers can produce excellent filtration of air, oil, and chemicals.
• Agriculture: Spunbond PLA non-wovens are used as UV-stable, breathable, and biodegradable ground cover.
• Consumer Products: Spunlace and airlaid non-wovens have benefits in terms of softness and absorbency, making them suitable for wipes, diapers, and hygiene products.

Handling and Mechanical Behavior of Non-Woven Filters

The random fiber orientation and bonding technique make non-woven fabrics have special mechanical characteristics. They may be constructed as:

• Elastic or stiff ( depending on fiber and the bond)
• Tear-resistant or tear-away (e.g., surgical drapes as compared to consumer wipes)
• Abrasive (spunlace ) or soft (needle-punched)

Why It Matters: Studying the mechanical performance can assist in packaging design, interconnection to the garments, and in automated handling systems.

Emerging Innovations in Non-Woven Materials

Let’s discuss some of the innovations in non-woven materials.

• Electrospun Nanofibers: Superfine non-woven ultra precision filtration (PM2.5)
• Biodegradable Non-wovens: PLA replaces PP with bamboo fibers
• 3D Non-Woven Structures: Sound insulation from retaining material
• Smart Non-wovens: Smart clothing and in-line medical devices

Why choose WZ Xinyu in Non-Woven Fabrics?

Non-woven fabrics are just one part of the equation at WZ Xinyu. It is our engineered non-woven solutions, customized to your industry-specific issues. Our years of experience in the production of advanced materials enable us to provide a plentiful portfolio of high-performance non-woven fabrics such as spunbond, meltblown, needle-punch, airlaid, and composite structures such as SMS and SMMS.

What Makes Us Different:

• Extensive Product Portfolio: filtration and medical textiles, to hygiene and packaging solutions, we produce everything, all under the same roof.
• Customization Experience: Have a special GSM, hydrophobicity, color, or roll width you need? We tailor to your specifications and within a short turnaround.
• Tight Quality Control: Our non-woven materials meet the international standards, such as ISO, FDA, and OEKO-TEX certification.
• Sustainability Options: Our products include non-woven fabrics made with bio-degradability and sustainability in mind, based on PLA, viscose, and recyclable polypropylene.
• Global Supply Network: We ship consistently to customers in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Who We Serve:

As a materials engineer, product designer, procurement manager, or OEM supplier who needs reliable, innovative non-woven solutions, WZ Xinyu has a good partner.

Conclusion: How to Choose Your Non-Woven

Knowledge of properties of non-woven fabrics is of great interest to technical specialists as well as corporate purchasers. The materials bring unparalleled flexibility, efficiency, and application in any given industry.

Designing diabetes devices, automobile exteriors, cabin interiors, or air filters? The over 500 million km of non-woven material in use are customized to suit your requirements in terms of performance, price, and sustainability.

FAQs

Q1: Can non-woven be washed?

Answer: The majority of industrial non-wovens are not made such that they can be washed and reused. Nonetheless, there are semi-durable spunbond or needle-punched forms that can be washed to a certain degree.

Q2: Is non-woven fabric breathable?

Answer: Yes. Non-wovens, such as spunbond and spunlace, offer moderate to high levels of breathability, depending on the production process used, and are therefore well-suited for masks, coveralls, and hygiene products.

Q3: Are non-woven materials recyclable?

Answer: Polypropylene non-wovens are recoverable (when facilities are available). Biodegradable materials (PLA, viscose) are not commonly recycled in plastic streams, but they are compostable.

Q4 What is the difference between Spunbond and Meltblown?

Answer: Spunbond is more durable and its use is structural, whereas meltblown has thinner fibers and its primary application is filtration. Several layers of them can be combined (e.g., SMS fabrics).

Q5: Are non-wovens safe in food contact?

Answer: The tea bags, the packaging liners, and the liquid filtration do use food-grade non-wovens (FDA-compliant), but only if they are within safety regulations.

Q6: Which non-woven should I use in my product?

Answer: Look at strength, absorbency, and purpose. See the performance table and speak to your supplier to have custom formulations.