Non-Woven

Non-Woven Manufacture

Non-woven fabrics are fabrics that aren’t made by the usually methods of either knitting or weaving. They are usually created by joining the fibres together by either chemical, mechanical or thermal means, or a combination of these.

There are two main types of non-woven fabrics; Bonded fibre fabrics and felted fabrics. The first one uses synthetic fibres which are made into webs. These webs are then bonded together with heat and glue. Felt fabrics are made from tightly matted fibres; these are typically wool fibres but can also be made from other animal fibres and even synthetic fibres. These fibres are subjected to heat, moisture and pressure and sometimes chemicals. This forms a consolidated mesh of fibres that are entangled. All of the fibres face in different directions. These materials are resistant to unravelling.

Recently, non-woven fabrics have been used as an alternative to polyurethane foam, as the characteristics they possess are similar.

Properties of Non-Woven Fabrics

• Typically stiff
• Inelastic
• Poor durability
• Can be either absorbent or liquid repellent
• Can be resilient
• Soft
• Flame Retardant
• Washable
• Anti-Bacterial
• Stable
• Versatile
• Can be made to mimic the appearance, texture and strength of woven fabrics
• Bulky
• Warm to wear
• Crease resistant
• Easy to Sew do not fray.

End Uses of Non-Woven Fabrics

• Can be used as a padding in clothes
• Slippers
• Interlinings
• Coats
• Hats
• Linings