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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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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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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.
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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.
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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
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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
Growth Rate1991-2001
2006200119961991Quantity
Source: INDA
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Worldwide Nonwoven Production
000 Tons
7.5 %
4.7 %
11.6 %
5.2 %
11.6 %
Growth Rate1991-2001
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
Growth Rate2001-2006
Forecast2006
20011991Category
Source: INDA
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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
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Bonding Technologies
4.02.6Thermal/Resin Bonded
10.413.3Spunlaced
6.15.8Needle Punched
Expected Growth2001-2006
10 Year Growth1991-2001
Category
Source: INDA
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Fiber & Resin Consumption
Millions of Tons
20062001SpunMelt Resins
2,4401,570Total Resins
150120Nylon, Polyethylene, Bico, Others
360270Polyester
1,9301,180Polypropylene
3,4902,410Total Fibers
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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.
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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
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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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Increased Surface Area
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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Increased Surface Area
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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