Assessment of Anisotropic Viscoelastic-Plastic Mechanical Properties of Thermally Bonded Bicomponent Fibre Nonwovens, 2010 Innovative Nonwovens Conference

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Nonwovens are engineered fabrics made of randomly distributed polymer-based fibres bonded together with mechanical, thermal or chemical techniques. This paper focuses on algorithms computing anisotropic viscoelastic-plastic mechanical properties of core/sheath type thermally bonded bicomponent fibre nonwoven textiles based on their manufacturing parameters and fibre properties. Bicomponent fibres used in this study have a core/sheath structure, with a material of the inner region – core – having a higher melting temperature than that of the outer region (sheath). During the bonding process of these fibres, a hot calender with an engraved pattern presses the fibre web causing the sheath part to melt and providing the desired bonding between the fibres while the fibres’ core part remains fully intact. As a result of the bonding process, two distinct regions, namely bond points and the fibre matrix, possessing different characteristics, collectively form the nonwoven fabric.