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| Nonwoven fabrics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nonwoven fabrics |
| Type | Textile material |
| Invented | 20th century |
| Related | Wovens, Knits, Technical textiles |
Nonwoven fabrics are engineered sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fibers mechanically, thermally, or chemically. They combine raw materials, production methods, and end-use design to produce materials with controlled strength, porosity, and surface properties. Invented and commercialized in the 20th century, nonwovens underpin products ranging from medical disposables to filtration media and geotextiles.
Nonwoven fabrics are defined as manufactured sheets made from staple fibers or continuous filaments where United States Department of Agriculture standards and International Organization for Standardization guidance often inform testing, and where bonding occurs without traditional Textile manufacturing methods such as weaving or knitting. Characteristic features include customizable basis weight, directional strength, and engineered permeability, which are evaluated by institutions like British Standards Institution, American Society for Testing and Materials, and Deutsches Institut für Normung. Key performance metrics are assessed through protocols developed by Society of Automotive Engineers, Underwriters Laboratories, and European Committee for Standardization.
Early nonwoven concepts trace to needlepunched felt used in workshops linked to innovators such as Thomas Edison and firms like DuPont. Commercial acceleration followed research at corporations including 3M, Kimberly-Clark, and Johnson & Johnson during the mid-20th century, influenced by wartime demand seen in World War II procurement and postwar industrial expansion tied to Marshall Plan markets. Advances in polymer science by entities like BASF, Dow Chemical Company, and researchers associated with Max Planck Society enabled synthetic fiber adoption, while standardization evolved through meetings at International Labour Organization and trade events hosted by Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry.
Major production routes include drylaid, wetlaid, and spunbond/meltblown methods developed by manufacturers such as BBA Nonwovens, Berry Global, and technology firms like Voith, Nordson, and Outokumpu. Drylaid routes use carding or crosslapper machinery derived from innovations at John Marshall and Sons and facilities in Manchester; wetlaid processes borrow from papermaking techniques pioneered by companies like King's Lynn Paper Mill and Stora Enso. Spunbond and meltblown technologies emerged from polymer extrusion work at BASF and ExxonMobil Chemical, while bonding techniques include thermal calendering influenced by Siemens equipment, hydroentangling developed with input from Aichelin, and chemical bonding using resins sold by Hexion. Needlepunching machines trace roots to inventors associated with Filzfelt and mills in Lodz.
Nonwovens use natural fibers and synthetics. Natural fibers include cotton sourced from regions like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh and cellulosic fibers processed by companies such as Lenzing AG; wool supplies involve exporters like those in New Zealand. Synthetic polymers include polypropylene produced by ExxonMobil, polyester from Indorama Ventures, polyamide (nylon) from BASF, and polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers marketed by NatureWorks LLC. Additives and functional finishes are provided by firms like Clariant, Evonik Industries, and DowDuPont, while composite architectures combine fibers produced by Toray Industries and bonding agents from Henkel.
Performance properties—tensile strength, elongation, hydrostatic resistance, air permeability, and filtration efficiency—are measured under standards administered by ISO, ASTM International, and AATCC. Fire retardancy treatments derive from chemicals sold by Brenntag and tested against criteria set by National Fire Protection Association. Barrier properties for medical use meet criteria from World Health Organization guidance and approval pathways at regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Durability and longevity for geotechnical use follow specifications from Federal Highway Administration and World Bank procurement documents.
Nonwovens serve healthcare (surgical gowns, masks) supplied to hospitals such as Mayo Clinic and distributors including McKesson Corporation; personal care products (diapers, wipes) from brands like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Kimberly-Clark; filtration media for Boeing aircraft and automotive filtration used by Toyota and General Motors; building materials (insulation) installed in projects by contractors such as Bechtel; geotextiles deployed in infrastructure programs funded by Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank; and consumer goods sold through retailers like Walmart and IKEA. Technical applications extend to aerospace, defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, and electronics manufacturers including Samsung Electronics.
Environmental concerns encompass lifecycle analyses performed by research centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London, and policy frameworks by United Nations Environment Programme and European Green Deal initiatives. Sustainability strategies include recycling programs coordinated with companies such as TerraCycle, development of biopolymers by NatureWorks LLC, and extended producer responsibility schemes advocated by OECD. End-of-life options—mechanical recycling, chemical depolymerization advanced by firms like Loop Industries, and energy recovery—are evaluated against carbon accounting methods promoted by Science Based Targets initiative and reporting standards from Global Reporting Initiative.
Category:Textile materials