How To Identify Non-woven Fabric?

Non-woven fabric is a material that is not made through traditional textile processes. Its fibers are directly combined into a mesh structure through mechanical, thermal adhesion, or chemical means. To identify non-woven fabric, it can be observed and tested from multiple aspects. First, look at its appearance. The fiber arrangement of non-woven fabric is random, unlike woven fabric, which has neat warp and weft lines, and unlike knitted fabric, which is made up of loops. The edges of non-woven fabric are easy to unravel, and when torn by hand, the fibers will be loose, while the edges of woven fabric and knitted fabric are usually more secure.

You can feel the characteristics of non-woven fabric by touching it with your hand. Most non-woven fabrics are relatively stiff, especially the high-weight types, but there are also soft types, such as medical SMS non-woven fabric. It should be noted that non-woven fabrics generally do not have elasticity, unless elastic fibers are specially added, which is clearly different from knitted fabrics. Knitted fabrics have good stretchability, while the softness or stiffness of woven fabrics depends on the yarn material.

The burning test is one of the most reliable methods for identification. Take a small piece of sample and ignite it, observe the phenomenon during burning. If it is polypropylene (PP) non-woven fabric, it will melt and drip, the flame will be blue with yellow, and there will be a smell similar to paraffin wax. After burning, it will leave a hard lump. Polyester (PET) non-woven fabric will produce black smoke, melt and drip, and emit a sweet smell. The residue is black hard beads. If it is adhesive fiber or cotton non-woven fabric, the burning speed is faster, there is no melt drop, the smell is similar to burning paper, and the ash is fine.

The light transmission test can also help identify non-woven fabrics. Observe the fabric against the light source. The light transmission of non-woven fabrics is uneven because the fibers are randomly distributed, while the light transmission of woven fabrics is more uniform because the warp and weft yarns are arranged in a regular pattern.

The durability of non-woven fabrics is usually not as good as that of traditional textiles. Ordinary non-woven fabrics, such as PP spunbond non-woven fabrics, are prone to deformation, pilling, and even cracking when they come into contact with water. Water-jet non-woven fabrics (such as wet wipes) are relatively durable, but they will still become loose after repeated washing. Woven fabrics and knitted fabrics can be washed repeatedly and are not easily damaged.

If more precise analysis is needed, professional testing methods can be used. Under the microscope, the fibers of the non-woven fabric are arranged in an unordered manner and do not have a yarn structure. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) can determine the composition of the material, such as PP, PET, or cotton.

In summary, the key to identifying non-woven fabrics lies in observing their fiber arrangement, edge characteristics, feel, burning behavior, and water resistance. Common applications of non-woven fabrics include shopping bags, medical protective clothing (PP spunbond non-woven fabric), surgical gowns and masks (SMS non-woven fabric), wet wipes (water jet non-woven fabric), and the filter layer of masks (melt-blown non-woven fabric). By using these methods, it is possible to accurately distinguish non-woven fabrics from traditional woven fabrics and knitted fabrics.