Controllable anisotropic properties of wet-laid hydroentangled nonwovens

For nonwovens, fiber orientation distribution is an important structural characteristic that directly influences the anisotropic properties of the materials. Different Vslurry/Vbelt ratios were adopted to fabricate nonwovens during the wet-laid process. The results indicated that fiber orientation distribution of nonwovens can be regulated by adopting different Vslurry/Vbelt ratios owing to the web-forming principle of wet-laid techniques. Mechanical tests showed that both wet and dry tensile strength of nonwovens in different angle directions present anisotropy under different Vslurry/Vbelt ratio parameters. A liquid spreading distribution experiment proved that liquid spreading length and area of nonwovens could be manipulated using different Vslurry/Vbelt ratios in the fabrication process. Therefore, specific anisotropic properties of wet-laid hydroentangled nonwovens can be realized by controlling the process parameters for particular end-use applications.