Directions in Nonwovens Technology

8/6/2019 Directions in Nonwovens Technology

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NONWOVENS COOPERATIVE

RESEARCH CENTER

NC State University

NCSU

IndustryStateofNC

New Directions inNonwovens

Technologies

New Directions inNonwovens

TechnologiesApril 2003

Behnam Pourdeyhimi

Professor and DirectorNonwovens Cooperative Research Center

College of TextilesNorth Carolina State University

2401 Research DriveRaleigh, NC 27695-8301

Phone: 919-515-6551FAX: 919-515-4556

URL: http://wwwncrc.ncsu.eduEMAIL: [email protected]

Director:Behnam Pourdeyhimi

Emeritus Director/Founder:Subhash Batra

Associate Directors:Don ShifflerRory Holmes

Administrative Assistant:Alicia Ford

Pilot Labs:Sherwood Wallace

Analytical Labs:Amy Minton

College of TextilesNorth Carolina State University

2401 Research DriveRaleigh, NC 27695-8301

Phone: 919-515-6551FAX: 919-515-4556

URL: http://wwwncrc.ncsu.eduEMAIL: [email protected]

Director:Behnam Pourdeyhimi

Emeritus Director/Founder:Subhash Batra

Associate Directors:Don ShifflerRory Holmes

Administrative Assistant:Alicia Ford

Pilot Labs:Sherwood Wallace

Analytical Labs:Amy Minton

Participating UniversitiesAuburnClemsonGeorgia Tech.North Carolina State UniversityLoughborough

University of TennesseeUniversity of GeorgiaUMass Dartmouth


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Copyright, B. Pourdeyhimi, NCSU, 2002

Nonwovens? Nonwovens are Engineered Fabrics

Nonwovens are manufactured by high-speed,low-cost processes Large Volume, Low Cost

Nonwovens are in many applications already,

but most are hidden and you do not see them


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The US Nonwovens Industry Nonwovens are growing at a significant rate

The US is the largest market for nonwovens

The US industry is composed of over550 firms employment: in excess of160,000

annual sales: over$40 billion The US industry leads the world in nonwovens

technology and production

The firms are typically small median employment: 75

annual sales: $7.5 million


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6/39Copyright, B. Pourdeyhimi, NCSU, 2002

State Number of Firms

North Carolina 29Massachusetts 17

Georgia 12

New York 12

South Carolina 10New Jersey 8

Michigan 6

Virginia 3

The Core US Nonwovens Firms Core nonwovens firms

are located in 32 statesand the District ofColumbia.

North Carolina has thelargest number of corenonwoven firms.



Economic Impact on North Carolina

Category Number of Firms Total Employees Total Sales $MM

Core Nonwovens 29 4,073

1,239

Suppliers 18 4,017

765

AssociatedFirms

50 7,498

1,161

Total 97 15,588 3,165

Forty of North Carolinas one hundred counties have at leastone commercial nonwoven related facility located in them.



Worldwide Nonwoven Production

N. America1.2 m. tons

30%

W. Europe1.1 m. tons

30%

Japan.34 m tons

8%

L. America.24 m. tons

6%

Asia-Pacific.64 m. tons

17%

Middle East.17 m. tons

4%

Rest of World.16 m. tons

5%

Source: INDA



Worldwide Outlook

Nonwovens Roll Goods Production

7.6 %7.5 %5.633.852.631.86Tons (millions)

8.5 %8.6 %140.093.061.041.0Square Meters (billions)

7.5 %5.5 %20.214.110.88.2Dollars (billions)

Growth Rate2001-2006


2006200119961991Quantity

Source: INDA


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Worldwide Nonwoven Production

000 Tons

7.5 %

4.7 %

11.6 %

5.2 %

11.6 %


7.6 %5,6303,8451,862Total

4.6 %202161102Wet Laid

15.5 %56727692Air Laid

6.2 %2,6321,9641,182Carded

9.0 %2,2291,444486SpunMelt


Forecast2006

20011991Category

Source: INDA



SpunMelt Growth

9.0 %13.0 %Total Melt Blown

7.0 %7.0 %Other Resins

9.1 %13.1 %Polypropylene

Melt Blown

9.0 %11.4 %Total Spunbond/Composites

5.0 %5.7 %Polyethylene, Nylon, Other

5.2 %5.4 %Polyester

10.3 %14.7 %Polypropylene

Spunbond (and SM Composites)

Expected Growth2001-2006

10 Year Growth1991-2001

Category

Source: INDA



Bonding Technologies

4.02.6Thermal/Resin Bonded

10.413.3Spunlaced

6.15.8Needle Punched

Expected Growth2001-2006

10 Year Growth1991-2001

Category

Source: INDA



Fiber & Resin Consumption

Millions of Tons

20062001SpunMelt Resins

2,4401,570Total Resins

150120Nylon, Polyethylene, Bico, Others

360270Polyester

1,9301,180Polypropylene

3,4902,410Total Fibers



Nonwoven Products Todays nonwovens are highly engineered

solutions made up of a variety of materialsincluding fibers, powders, particles, adhesives,films and other materials that provide specific

solution or solutions by providing a multitudeof functionalities.



Major Trends Materials

Permanently Hydrophilic Polypropylene/Polyesters

New sustainable materials PLA, Bio PET, Kenaf Bicomponent Staple Fibers

Processes Innovative SpunMelt

Bicomponent meltblown/spunbond products High speed/high volume processing Carding New Innovative/Combined processes Coform

Post-Processes Surface treatments Coatings/laminations

Product Innovations Composites Coforms



Functionalizing Surfaces Topical Finishes

staple fibers (typically done by fiber producer)

SpunMelt fabrics require an added step in the process

Surface Modifications Atmospheric plasma Cold Plasma Electron Beam

Increased Surface Area Smaller Fibers Micro and Nano Fibers

Melt Additives staple fibers SpunMelt fabrics


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Enabling Technologies The major innovations in products will be based on:

Materials

New innovative (sustainable) materials

Bicomponent/multi-component fiber technologies

Processes

New innovative processes Apex,

Co-forms

Products

Composites


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Why Bicomponent Fibers? To utilize the properties of two polymers

To exploit capabilities not existing in each ofthe individual polymers

To improve the material performance suitable

for specific needs by tailoring one or moreproperties with minimal sacrifice of otherproperties

To bring about multifunctional propertieswithout the loss of mechanical properties


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Classification Side-by-side

Sheath-core

Segmented-pie

Islands-in-the-sea

Tipped

Segmented-ribbon


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Increased Surface Area

Segment-Pie: Splitting by Carding

Card-splittable fiber before splitting Card-splittable fiber after carding

Ref: Middlebrooks, M. C.


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Evolon The Next Generation

i Evolon is a newly patented,award winning method for

manufacturing

Ref: Freudenberg


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Evolon The Technology

microfilament fabrics

16 Sector PIE ~ 0.1 dtex

2 Sector S/S ~ 1 dtex

Ref: Freudenberg


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How About Nano Fibers? Electrospinning

10 to 200 nm

Meltblowing

500 nm to 10 m

Bicomponent fibers

200 nm to 1000 nm

Bicomponent Fibers inspunbonding

Bicomponent Fibers inmeltblowing

Fiber Diameter (m)10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101 102

SurfaceA

rea(m2/g)

10-2

10-1

100

101

102

103

104

Electrospun fibers

Textile Micro andNano Fibers

ConventionalFibers

Diameter ofHuman Hair

Single and MultiwalledCarbon Nanotubes


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Engineering the Product

Composites Composite Nonwovens (CN) are made:

from 2 or more fibersHomogeneous blends and gradients

Layered structures

from fibers and particulates from 2 or more layers with at least one being a

nonwoven


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CN Made From Fibers & Filaments

Examples

Thinsulate from 3Mcomposed of large fibers+ sub-denier fibers

Synthetic leathercomposed of Spunlacedsplittable fibers


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Spunbond+Spunlace - Hydroknit

(KC)Pulp FiberDispersion

PulpF

iberLa

yer

Contin

uousF

ilament

Sp

unbondW

eb

Composite Fabric

Head Box

Formin

gFabric

HydroentanglingUnit


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Apertured Nonwoven Fabrics

Card#1

Card#2

Polymerfilm

(US 6,025,050, BBA Nonwovens)


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Layered Composites

Examples Spunlaced fabrics made

of wood pulp andsynthetic fibers

Tissues paper layered ontop of carded web prior to

hydroentanglement Fabric has one side rich in

wood pulp fiber

Treatment is added to

wood pulp fibers toachieve barrier properties


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CN With Particulates Nonwovens where

particulates are bondedto the fiber or filamentwith an adhesive ( e.g.

Abrasive pad where

abrasive particulates arebonded to the fibers witha latex. Same approach

has been used forcarbon black)


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CN With Particulates Nonwovens made up of

bicomponent fibers,

where the outer layer ismelted to form bondsbetween the fibers and

between the fibers andthe particulates.


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Let us summarize.


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Materials Trends Natural (Green) Materials

Kenaf, Hemp, Jute, Cotton, Pulp, Bio Materials

P&Gs PET

Renewable (Green) Resources PLA Cargill/Dow

Kenaf Greene National Fibers


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Fabric Manufacturing Trends Faster, more efficient processes

More versatile processes New innovative multiple processes

IN THE WORLD OF COMMODITY PRODUCTS, THEONE WHO MAKES IT FASTEST AND CHEAPEST

WINS


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Product Trends More engineered solutions multi-functional

products will emerge by using: Composites

Laminates

Finishes/treatments Coforms


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Potentials for Growth

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

MarketPe

netration(%)

N.Am

eric

a

W.Europ

e

Japa

nAsia

S.Am

eric

a

S.Afric

a

Fem Hy

Diapers

Med FabInd App


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Technology Usage

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

TechnologyUsage(%)

N.Am

eric

a

W.Europ

e

Japa

nAsia

S.Am

eric

a

S.Afric

a

Mid

dleEa

st

SpunMelt

SL

NP/Card

Other


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Regional Growth Potential

0

2

46

8

10

12

14

Growth(%)

Worldw

ide

N.Amer

ica

W.Euro

pe

Jap

an

Asia

S.Amer

ica

S.Afric

a

2000-2005


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Directions in Nonwovens Technology

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