In daily life, non-woven fabric products can be seen everywhere, from masks and wet wipes used in daily life to filter materials in the industrial field. With its unique properties, nonwoven fabric has become an indispensable part of modern life. Among the numerous production processes of non-woven fabrics, wet non-woven fabrics have gradually emerged with their unique manufacturing techniques and excellent performance. Today, we will take you into the world of wet non-woven fabrics.
Exploring production processes
The production process of wet non-woven fabric is exquisite and unique. The first step is the screening and preparation of raw materials, which is crucial. The quality of raw materials directly affects the performance and application of the final product. Common raw materials include natural fibers such as wood pulp and cotton pulp, which give products a natural texture and a certain degree of hydrophilicity; Synthetic fibers such as polypropylene and polyester are also commonly used to enhance the strength and durability of products. These raw materials need to be carefully screened to ensure their purity and consistency, laying a solid foundation for subsequent production.
After the raw materials are prepared, pre-treatment is necessary. Pre treatment is the key to ensuring uniform distribution of fibers in subsequent processes. This process involves the opening, breaking, and purification of fibers to remove impurities and uneven fiber bundles. For example, when processing wood pulp fibers, specific mechanical devices are used to loosen tight fiber clusters into loose single fiber states. At the same time, in order to improve the dispersibility of fibers and the stability of suspensions, specific chemical additives may be added, such as dispersants, which can evenly disperse fibers in water without clumping; Wetting agents can enhance the affinity between fibers and water; Stabilizers ensure that the suspension remains stable for a certain period of time.
The preparation and adjustment of suspension is the core process of wet non-woven fabric production. Pre treated fibers are mixed in water to form a uniform fiber suspension slurry. At this point, the concentration, viscosity, and pH value of the suspension must be precisely controlled. Excessive concentration can lead to fiber aggregation, resulting in uneven web formation; If the concentration is too low, it will affect production efficiency and product strength. Viscosity and pH values also have an impact on the distribution and bonding of fibers, so adjustments need to be made according to different raw material and product requirements. For example, in the production of wet non-woven fabrics for filtration, it may be necessary to increase the suspension concentration appropriately to increase the packing density between fibers and improve the filtration effect.
Forming and dehydration are key steps in converting suspensions into wet non-woven fabrics. In the forming machine, the suspension is mechanically intercepted by a specific forming mesh, and the fibers deposit on the forming mesh to form a wet mesh. Subsequently, the wet mesh undergoes dehydration treatment to remove excess moisture. There are various dehydration methods, and pressure extrusion uses mechanical pressure to squeeze out water; Centrifugation utilizes the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation to separate moisture; Vacuum moisture absorption utilizes a vacuum environment to rapidly vaporize and remove moisture. These methods can all achieve a certain strength and stability of the fabric.
Drying and reinforcement are important steps to ensure the strength of non-woven fabrics. The wet web is heated by a dryer using hot air or infrared radiation to evaporate the moisture in the fiber web, enhancing the bonding strength between fibers. Subsequently, the non-woven fabric is reinforced through hot rolling process. During hot rolling, the fiber web passes through heated rollers, causing melting and bonding between fibers, forming a sturdy structure. The control of temperature and pressure is crucial. If the temperature is too high, the fibers may melt excessively, affecting product performance; Improper pressure can lead to insufficient fiber bonding and insufficient strength.
Finally, there is the post-processing and inspection process. After hot-rolled reinforcement, non-woven fabrics may require post-treatment such as coating, printing, embossing, or cutting into specific sizes to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Each batch of products must undergo strict quality inspection, testing the thickness, density, strength, breathability, and other properties of the fabric. Only products that meet the predetermined performance standards and quality requirements can enter the market.
Unique Performance Big Broadcast
Wet non-woven fabric has many unique properties, and it has obvious advantages in production speed, reaching up to 400 meters per minute. The efficient production speed makes it highly competitive in large-scale production, meeting the market’s large demand for non-woven fabric. Like some large wet non-woven fabric production enterprises, they can produce a large amount of products every day to supply various industries.
Wet non-woven fabric also performs well in terms of fiber applicability, especially suitable for forming webs of short fibers with a length of less than 20 millimeters, which makes its selection of fiber raw materials more flexible. The mixing of fibers of different qualities is almost unrestricted, and both natural and synthetic fibers can find suitable applications in wet non-woven fabric production. For example, mixing wood pulp fibers with polyester fibers can not only utilize the hydrophilicity of wood pulp fibers, but also take advantage of the high strength of polyester fibers, making the product have both good water absorption and durability.
In terms of fiber arrangement, the fibers in the wet non-woven fabric web are arranged in a disorderly manner, making the wet non-woven material almost isotropic and exhibiting consistent performance in all directions. Unlike some traditional fabrics, there are significant differences in strength, stretchability, and other properties in different directions. When making filter materials, this isotropic characteristic ensures that the material can stably perform its filtering function from any angle.
The good fluffiness and fiber uniformity of the product are also a major highlight of wet non-woven fabrics. Its fiber structure makes it fluffy and soft to the touch, providing users with a comfortable experience when used to make sanitary products. The uniform fiber mesh structure makes the product performance more stable and reduces the local quality problems caused by uneven fiber mesh. For example, when making facial mask base cloth, the uniform fiber mesh can ensure the uniform distribution of essence solution and nourish the skin more evenly.
The low production cost is an important advantage of wet non-woven fabrics. It does not involve repeated processing of fiber raw materials and is directly made into fiber products from short fibers, reducing energy consumption, saving manpower and material resources, and having a price advantage in market competition. Compared to other production processes of non-woven fabrics, wet non-woven fabrics can be provided to customers at a lower price while ensuring quality. For example, many disposable wiping cloths used in daily life are made of wet non-woven fabrics, which have a low cost and are affordable. Consumers can use them with confidence.
Diversified application areas
Wet non-woven fabric, with its unique properties, has a wide range of applications in many fields. Firstly, in the medical and health field, it is an important defense line for medical protection. During the COVID-19, medical masks, surgical clothes, medical bandages and dressings made of wet non-woven fabrics played an important role. The wet non-woven filter layer in medical masks can efficiently filter out particles, bacteria, and viruses in the air, providing reliable respiratory protection for medical staff and patients; Surgical gowns have waterproof, breathable, and bacterial barrier properties, effectively reducing the risk of surgical infections; Medical bandages and dressings are soft and skin friendly, with strong water absorption, and can promote wound healing. High end wound dressings used in some hospitals are made of wet non-woven fabric, greatly improving the speed of wound healing.
In the field of home decoration, wet non-woven fabric is a powerful assistant for home comfort and aesthetics. It is used to make sofa covers, curtains, carpets, etc. It not only has good wear resistance and breathability, but also adds beauty to homes. For example, some high-end sofas are wrapped in wet non-woven fabric, which has a soft touch and good breathability, making users feel comfortable; The curtains are made of wet non-woven fabric, which has both shading and breathability properties. They can also meet the decoration needs of different home styles through printing, dyeing and other processes.
In the industrial field, wet non-woven fabric is a versatile expert in industrial production. In electronic manufacturing, it is used to produce battery separator paper, which plays a key role in isolating positive and negative electrodes and preventing short circuits; In the field of chemical engineering, filter materials can be made to efficiently filter impurities in liquids and gases, ensuring the purity of the production process; In automobile manufacturing, it is used to manufacture car interiors, sound insulation materials, etc., to enhance the comfort and quietness of the car interior. For example, a well-known car brand uses a large amount of wet non-woven fabric in its car interior, which is environmentally friendly and can effectively reduce the noise inside the car.
In the field of civil engineering, wet non-woven fabric is a reliable partner for engineering construction. Geotextile, as a common application form, is used in road, dam, bridge and other engineering projects to reinforce, drain and filter. When constructing highways, laying geotextiles can enhance the stability of the roadbed, prevent soil erosion and water infiltration, and extend the service life of the road.
Wet non-woven fabric is an important element in improving the quality of automobiles in the automotive industry. It is used in car interiors, such as seat covers, roof linings, etc., providing a comfortable touch and good breathability; It can also produce components such as air filters and soundproofing felt to improve the performance of automobiles. The air filter of a certain luxury car uses wet non-woven fabric, which can more effectively filter impurities in the air and protect the engine.
In the field of agriculture and horticulture, wet non-woven fabric is the green guardian of agricultural production. It is made into root protection cloth, seedling cultivation cloth, pest control cloth, etc., providing a good environment for crop growth. Root protection cloth can maintain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and promote plant root growth; Nursery cloth can provide suitable temperature and humidity for seedlings, improving their survival rate; Insect proof cloth can prevent pest invasion, reduce pesticide use, and achieve green agricultural production.
In the field of packaging, wet non-woven fabric is an innovative choice in the packaging industry. It can be used to make composite cement bags, grain packaging bags, etc. It has the advantages of high strength, moisture resistance, breathability, etc., and can effectively protect packaging items. The composite cement bag is made of wet non-woven fabric and plastic film, which is both moisture-proof and durable, making it convenient for the storage and transportation of cement; The breathability of grain packaging bags ensures the respiration of grains and extends their shelf life.
Development Status and Challenges
From a global perspective, the wet non-woven fabric market is showing a thriving development trend. According to relevant data, the global wet non-woven fabric market reached a considerable scale in 2023, and is expected to continue to grow at a certain compound annual growth rate in the coming years, reaching new heights by 2029. This growth trend is attributed to its widespread application in various fields and the constantly expanding new application scenarios.
China, as an important global non-woven fabric market, also holds a significant position in the wet process non-woven fabric field. In 2024, the wet process non-woven fabric market in China will continue to expand in scale, with a significant proportion in the global market. With the development of the domestic economy, the demand for wet non-woven fabrics in industries such as healthcare, industrial manufacturing, and home decoration is increasingly strong, driving the continuous expansion of the market size. Some large wet non-woven fabric production enterprises are continuously increasing investment and expanding production capacity to meet the strong demand in the market.
However, the development of the industry also faces many challenges. The issue of recycling is becoming increasingly prominent, as some wet process non-woven fabric products are difficult to naturally degrade after use, such as some non-woven fabrics used for hygiene products, which are difficult to recycle after being contaminated, causing certain pressure on the environment. With the increasing demand for environmental protection, the development of biodegradable wet non-woven fabric materials and the establishment of an effective recycling system have become urgent issues that need to be addressed in the industry.
There are also challenges in terms of technological innovation. Although wet non-woven fabric technology is relatively mature at present, the industry still needs to continuously innovate in improving production efficiency, reducing production costs, and enhancing product performance in the face of constantly changing market demands and fierce competitive environment. When improving the strength and durability of a product, it may affect its softness and breathability. Finding a balance between these properties requires continuous technological research and innovation.
The market competition is becoming increasingly fierce, and many enterprises are entering the wet non-woven fabric market, leading to intensified market competition. Enterprises not only have to face competition from domestic peers, but also face challenges from international enterprises. This requires enterprises to continuously enhance their core competitiveness, occupy a place in the market through optimizing production processes, improving product quality, and strengthening brand building.
The future is promising
Looking ahead to the future, wet non-woven fabrics will continue to make breakthroughs in technological innovation. With the rapid development of technology, cutting-edge technologies such as nanotechnology and intelligent materials are expected to be deeply integrated with wet non-woven fabric production. Through nanotechnology, wet non-woven fabrics with nanoscale fiber structures can be prepared, greatly improving the filtration efficiency and adsorption performance of the product. When making air filtration materials, nanofiber wet non-woven fabric can more effectively capture fine particles and even achieve efficient filtration of PM2.5, providing people with a cleaner air environment. The application of smart materials will also endow wet non-woven fabrics with more functions, such as smart non-woven fabrics with self sensing and self regulating properties, which can automatically adjust their breathability, water absorption, etc. according to environmental changes, meeting the special needs of different scenarios.
Environmental protection and sustainable development are important directions for the future of wet non-woven fabrics. With the increasing global awareness of environmental protection, it is urgent to develop biodegradable and recyclable wet non-woven fabric materials. Enterprises will increase research and application of environmentally friendly materials such as bio based fibers and biodegradable polymers to reduce their impact on the environment. Some companies have started using natural biodegradable fibers such as bamboo fiber and hemp fiber to produce wet non-woven fabrics. These products can decompose quickly in the natural environment, reducing the pressure of waste on the environment. Establishing a comprehensive recycling system is also crucial. Through recycling and reuse, resources can be recycled, production costs can be reduced, and the industry’s sustainable development capabilities can be enhanced.
In terms of market expansion, with the rapid development of emerging economies and the improvement of people’s living standards, the demand for high-quality and high-performance wet non-woven fabric products will continue to grow. In addition to traditional application areas, wet non-woven fabrics will also usher in more opportunities in emerging fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, etc. Wet non-woven fabrics, with their unique properties, are expected to play an important role in battery separators for new energy vehicles, filtering and protective materials for artificial intelligence devices, and tissue engineering scaffolds in the biomedical field, opening up a broader market space.
Summary
Wet nonwoven fabric plays an indispensable role in modern industry and daily life due to its unique production process, excellent performance, and wide application fields. Although the current industry is facing challenges such as recycling, technological innovation, and market competition, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, technological progress, and continuous expansion of market demand, wet non-woven fabrics have enormous potential for future development. We believe that under the dual drive of technological innovation and market demand, wet non-woven fabrics will usher in a more brilliant tomorrow, bringing more convenience and surprises to our lives. Let’s pay attention to the dynamics of the wet non-woven fabric industry together and witness its vigorous development.
Dongguan Liansheng Non woven Technology Co., Ltd. was established in May 2020. It is a large-scale non-woven fabric production enterprise integrating research and development, production, and sales. It can produce various colors of PP spunbond non-woven fabrics with a width of less than 3.2 meters from 9 grams to 300 grams.
Post time: Sep-13-2025