NAFA TECH 2015 AIR FILTRATION MEDIA April 17

NAFA TECH 2015 AIR FILTRATION MEDIA April 17, 2015 Embassy Suites DFW Dallas, TX Steven Ogle Instructor

Nonwovens Are Not! q Knitted q Woven q Tufted q Typically, do not use yarns q Paper 2 © INDA

What Are Nonwovens? q Engineered fabrics q Fabric made directly from fibers or resins q Manufactured at high speed q Competitive cost q Excludes most “paper” q Many applications q Nonwovens are everywhere You typically don’t think about a products components 3 © INDA

Nonwoven Markets/Applications q Disposables: Diapers, medical gowns/drapes/wraps, wipes, dryer sheets q Semi-durables: Filters (air, oil, gas) q Durables: Automotive, home furnishings, geotextiles 4 © INDA

Thousands of End Products 5 © INDA

Thousands of End Products 6 © INDA

Air Filtration Products 3. 9% Growth – $13. 7 MM North America by 2018 7 7

Nonwoven Air Filtration Media q How are they Made q Raw Materials q Web Forming q Fabric Bonding q Converting – Final Product 9 9

How Nonwovens Are Made q 4 Step Process ü Select raw material ü Form a web ü Bond web into fabric ü Finish/convert fabric 10 © INDA

Step #1 q Material Selection Staple Fiber –Natural –Man made Polymer Resin 11 © INDA

A Word About Fibers! q Fiber choice critical to end-product q Fiber decisions based on fabric requirements • Strength • Flexibility • Melting point, flexible/brittle temperature (glass transition) • Stability toward its environment (i. e. , flame, sunlight) • Dyeability • Cost, availability 12 © INDA

Step #2 q Web formation – staple fiber to fabric Carded Air laid Wet laid q Web formation – polymer to fabric Spunbond Meltblown SMS 13 © INDA

Roll Goods Fibers Materials Web Formation Bonding Finishing Polyester Carding Calender Surfactant Nylon Air Laid Through Air Repellent Cotton Cross-lap Hydro Color Needled Coating Adhesive Other Rayon Polypropylene Pulp Wet Laid None Finished Products Gowns and Drapes Paper Tape (Transfusions) Surgical Sponges Fluff Pulp Bi-component Others 14 © INDA

What Is a Web? q A web is a random structure of loose fiber q Dry laid webs made by carding or air laying q What is Carding • Individual fibers between 1/2”-2” are separated by combing • A web is formed with a high degree of fiber alignment q What is Air Laid? • Individual fibers 1/2” or less are separated & carried by air fiber distribution is very random 15 © INDA

Web Carding: Dual Cylinder 16 © INDA

Air Laid Card © INDA 17

Air Laid Short Fiber 18 © INDA

What Is Wet Laid? q Fibers, very short, are suspended in water and then collected on a screen, forming the web q Water is drained, then vacuumed, then pressed, and finally evaporated with heat 19 © INDA

Wet Laid Process 20 © INDA

Roll Goods Materials Web Bonding Formation Finishing Finished Products Polypropylene Spunbond Surfactant Calender Polymers Polyethylene Meltblown Through Air Repellent Polyester SMS Hydro Color Nylon Film Needled Coating PLA Other PVA None Gowns and Drapes Mayo Stand Cover Head Gear and Booties Face Masks Others 21 © INDA

What Is Melt Spinning? q Extrusion of melted polymers to form fibers and webs q Meltspinning: • Spunbond • Meltblown 22 © INDA

Spunbond Process 23 © INDA

Meltblown Process 24 © INDA

SMS Schematic 25 © INDA

SMS Cross Section Courtesy of Fiberweb PLC 26

Coform Process 27 © INDA

Step #3 Bonding methods • Chemical (adhesive, resin, latex) • Needlepunch • Spunlaced/hydroentangling • Thermal bond 28 © INDA

Chemical Bonding (Gravure Printer) 29 © INDA

Chemical Bonding (Dip & Nip) 30 © INDA

Chemical Bonding (Foam Padder) 31 © INDA

Chemical Bonding (Spray) Courtesy of Roy Broughton 32

Needle Penetration 33 © INDA

Dual Entangler 34 © INDA

Calendar Bonding Web passed between two rolls • One or both are heated internally • One or both may be embossed Heating via conduction Cooling via convection Courtesy of NCRC – NCSU - 2001 35

Through Air Hot air Courtesy of NCRC – NCSU - 2001 36

Ultrasonic Bonding Horn Anvil Friction between horn and fabric heats fibers under raised points 37 Courtesy of NCRC – NCSU - 2001

Step #4 Converting Examples include: • Slitting • Sheet cutting • Die stamping • Perforations for easy tearing 38 • • • Pleating Molding Assembling Folding Packaging 38

Thank You Steve Ogle 919 -793 -6411 oglelanding@gmail. com 39