What is a nonwoven fabric?

Nonwoven fabrics are broadly defined as web structures bonded together by entangling fibres
mechanically, thermally fusing the fibres or chemically bonding the fibres. Nonwovens are defined
more exactly by various bodies one of the most often quoted is the International Nonwovens &
Disposables Association (INDA) definition: Nonwovens are a sheet, web, or bat of natural and/or
man-made fibres or filaments, excluding paper, that have not been converted into yarns, and that
are bonded to each other by any of several means.
Nonwovens are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibres to yarn.
Nonwoven fabrics are engineered fabrics that may be single-use disposable or a very durable fabric.
They are used in numerous applications, including; baby diapers, adult incontinence products, wet
wipes, surgical drapes and covers, liquid cartridge and bag filters, face masks, air-conditioning filters,
soil stabilizers and roadway underlayment, erosion control, drainage systems, insulation (fiberglass
batting), pillows, cushions, and upholstery padding, carpet backing, automotive headliners and
upholstery, house wraps, and disposable clothing (foot coverings, coveralls).
Nonwoven manufacturing process
Nonwoven manufacturing can be described in simple terms as a series of manufacturing steps
consisting of forming a fibrous web, entangling or bonding the fibres in the web to impart mechanical
integrity to the structure and finishing/converting the fabric to impart some special properties to the
fabric that the customer specifies. The manufacturing steps are described below:
Web Formation
The characteristics of the fibrous web are a key determinant of the physical properties of the final
product. The choice of methods for forming webs is determined by fibre length. Initially, the methods
for the formation of webs from staple-length fibres were based on the textile carding process, whereas
web formation from short fibres was based on a wet laid process similar papermaking. These
technologies are still in use, but methods based forming a web directly from filaments immediately
they exit an extruder (Spun laid) have also been developed.
Fibrous webs have little mechanical strength and a further manufacturing process is necessary to form
a fabric with useful properties. There are number of processes which are used to accomplish this as
described in next section.
Web bonding
Needle punching is a process of bonding nonwoven web structures mechanically interlocking the
fibers through the web. Barbed needles, mounted on a board, punch fibers into the web and then are
withdrawn leaving fibers entangled. The needles are spaced in a non-aligned arrangement are
designed to release the fiber as the needle board is withdrawn.
Finishing and converting
Finishing and converting are the last operations performed on the fabric before it is delivered to the
customer. Finishing includes operations such as coating and laminating, calendaring and embossing
to impart particular surface properties, corona and plasma treatments to change the wetting
properties of the fabric, wet chemical treatments to impart anti-stat" properties, anti-microbial
properties, flame retardant properties etc. Aft finishing the fabric, it is usually cut to the width the
customer specifies a rewound ready for shipment. This is known as converting.