FINISHING OF NONWOVEN BONDED FABRICS

The production of nonwoven fabrics is carried out either as a continuous process, with fiber or resin as the input material and a roll of fabric as output, or as a series of batch processes. Correspondingly, fabric finishing is carried out either in tandem with web formation and consolidation or off-line as a separate operation. Nonwoven bonded fabrics are, by definition, textiles and they can be finished in exactly the same way as other textiles such as woven or knitted fabrics. There are many examples of particular methods and types of finishing equipment being used for both kinds of fabrics. Nonwovens may be given one or more of a variety of finishing processes as a means of enhancing fabric performance or aesthetic properties. Performance properties include functional characteristics such as moisture regain and transport, absorbency or repellency, flame retardancy, electrical response, resistance and frictional behavior. Aesthetic properties include various attributes such as appearance, surface texture, color, and odor. Finishing of nonwoven bonded fabrics can be classified from different ways. Some people believe that nonwoven finishing processes can be categorized as chemical, mechanical, or thermal-mechanical. Chemical finishing involves the application of chemical agents as coating to fabric surfaces or the impregnation of fabrics with chemical additives or fillers. Mechanical finishing involves altering the texture of fabric surfaces by physically reorienting or shaping fibers on or near the fabric surface. Thermal-mechanical finishing involves altering fabric dimensions or physical properties using of heat and pressure [1]. Generally, finishing of nonwoven bonded fabrics is classified as Dry finishing or Wet finishing. DRY FINISHING Shrinkage Finish: The compaction that accompanies shrinkage is useful in obtaining greater basis weight or GSM (grams per square meter) and density, more bulk, higher strength and improved cleavage properties. Shrinkage occurs when the fibers are wet or dry depending on the type. Shrinkage by exposure to heat is suitable for a nonwoven fabric made predominantly of synthetic fibers and is especially effective if fibers are prone to shrinkage. The web is fed through the heating zone on screen driers. They are usually perforated cylinder driers with a rotating over feed, whereby the web is fed faster onto the roll than it is drawn off. A second shrinkage is carried out if the web contains significant amounts of natural fibers. The web is immersed in a tank of hot water to promote shrinkage and is dried without tension. Some special synthetic fibers shrink both when they are wet and when heated. A variation of wet shrinkage, which aids in saving energy, is shrinkage in steam. Needling together two types of webs where one shrinks and the other is shrink-proof results in the formation of decorative raised patterns when shrunk. This technique is used in the production of sculptured wall and floor coverings. Wrenching Finish: The Clupak process, invented by Sanford Cluett, is similar to the sanforising process, is used for wet-laid nonwoven bonded fabrics. The machinery (fig. 1) consists of a continuous rubber belt, about 25 mm thick, with an intermediate woven layer lying on a heated, chromium-plated and polished drying cylinder. The web is pressed against the cylinder at the first point of contact by a non-rotating clamping bar. The rubber cloth is compacted lengthwise, which affects the web between it and the cylinder in the same way thus causing compacting and crimping of the fibers in the web longitudinally. The web is fed moist, through the gap between the belt and the cylinder. The compacting is fixed by drying.

The outcome of the Clupak method depends on a number of factors. Hydrophilic fibers are more suitable than hydrophobic ones. Polyolefin fibers are not suitable due to their lower moisture absorption and sensitivity to heat. Webs in which the fibers are oriented lengthwise give a more pronounced effect than cross-laid or random-laid webs. The degree of wrenching is increased if the moisture content is high - about 20% - but if the bonding agent is more than 50% such increases are unattainable. Thermoplastic bonding agents assist wrenching but the web tends to adhere to the cylinder. Elastomer bonding agents due to their elastic nature almost cancel the wrenching effect. Creeping: The Micrex-Microcreepe Process: In the Micrex process, compaction of the web is so strong that the creeping effect is visible and the increase in extension and basis weight can easily be measured. The surface per unit area is larger and the flexibility is improved even further than by the Clupak method.

The apparatus for the Micrex process (fig. 2) consists of a rotating conveyor roller, the surface of which has screwshaped grooves in it, and two guide plates - one fixed and one elastic -forming a knee lying against the cylinder. Between these is fed the web and nearby is a scrapper-like compressing device inclined at an acute angle to the surface of the roller. The web is compacted in the first gap, then raises itself from the cylinder in the relaxation zone to be compacted by the scrapper again. The process can be adjusted to produce a fine or coarse crepe without significant impairment of the mechanical properties despite production speeds of 150-200 m/min since the web is handled dry and at much lower temperatures as compared to the Clupak method. This method is suitable to creeping longitudinally oriented carded webs, wet or dry-laid random structured webs, spun-bonded and spunlaced products.

Calendaring and Pressing: These methods are used to improve the surface characteristics of the fabrics, the most important features being smoothing and patterning. The processes used are continuous and usually involve one or several pairs of rollers operating under pressure. i. Moire or goffering calender: The calenders are common in nonwoven finishing and are used in the compacting of the webs made of natural and synthetic fibers. This type of calendering can be considered to be both a bonding and finishing process. Webs composed of longitudinally oriented cotton or viscose fibers with a GSM of about 10-30 g/m2 can be stiffened and compacted sufficiently by passing them through a goffering calender when slightly damp. Hot embossing of synthetic fiber webs, even when the fibers are longitudinally oriented, produces a product remarkably strong due to the fibers melting at the embossed areas. The embossing effect is used to obtain special effects such as leather graining, simulated weave, plaster, brush strokes, cord and mock tiling. Another area in which heated calenders are used is in the manufacture of laminates. Here thermoplastic fibers, layers of thread or film are placed between two layers of non-plastic web and are fused together by heat and pressure. Such laminates are used as tablecloths, seat and cushion covers. Calenders are also used in the transfer printing of the bonded webs. ii. Roller presses: The oldest form of improving the surface of nonwoven bonded fabrics is the pressing of wool felts, especially felts for collar linings. This gives a smoother surface finish and also improves strength and luster. Miscellaneous Dry Finishing: Perforating: The Artos method is a method of perforating in which the web, which has been bonded by using chemicals, is perforated with hot needles. This process not only punches holes but also reinforces as a result of crosslinking and condensation of the bonding agent. Slitting: Slitting, originally developed to improve the softness and drape of films was used by the Breveteam company for interlinings, in particular for adhesive fixable interlinings. The slitting is accomplished by a roller with small blades mounted on it. Splitting: When nonwovens are substituted for leather, the thick layer of needled fabric is split similar to the splitting of leather to make thinner fabrics. The fabrics used are thick, high strength, firmly bonded, closely needled and usually shrunk. Splitting is done by machines in which a continuous rotation hoop knife is guided with great precision in the gap between two conveyor rollers, the distance between them depending on the thickness and type of fabric required. Grinding and Velouring: Splitting is followed by either ironing and friction calendering or moire calendering and possibly also grinding and polishing to make the surface even, giving the fabric the appearance of velour or suede. The process is known as velouring. Singeing: It belongs to the category of a dry finishing process. It is essentially the burning off of protruding fibers from nonwoven fabrics, particularly needled fabrics. The process is exactly the same as traditional singeing and is carried out on gassing frames where the fabric is passed over an open gas flame. The surface is made smoother, which simplifies the dusting of filter fabrics.

Reff: M. G. Kamath, Atul Dahiya, Raghavendra R. Hegde (Praveen Jana & Xinli Liu)