Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Non-woven textiles are those which are neither woven nor knit; felt is the example given. Non-wovens are typically not strong unless reinforced by a backing, and do not stretch. They are manufactured by putting small fibers together in the form of a sheet and binding them with adhesive or by interlocking them with serrated needles, so inter-fiber friction produces the fabric. Modern non-wovens are mainly produced from man-made fibers, with polypropylene and polyester the dominant polymers.
Non-woven fabric is manufactured by putting small fibers together in the form of a sheet and then binding them either with an adhesive or by interlocking them with serrated needles such that the inter-fiber friction results in a strong fabric.
Non-woven materials are nowadays mainly produced from man-made fibers. Two synthetic polymers dominate the market: polypropylene and polyesters (mainly PET).
Non-woven materials are used in numerous applications, including:
Staple non-wovens are made in two steps. fibers are first spun, cut to a few centimeters length, and put into bales. These bales are then dispersed on a conveyor belt, and the fibers are spread in a uniform web by a wetlaid process or by carding.
Spunlaid non-wovens are made in one continuous process. fibers are spun and directly dispersed in a web by deflectors. This technique leads to faster belt speeds, and cheaper costs. Several variants of this concept are available, but the leading technology is the Reicofil machinery, manufactured by Reifenha'ser (Germany).
Both staple and spunlaid non-wovens would have no mechanical resistance per se without the bonding step. Several methods can be used:
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A Third Route to a Sheet of FiberTextile history has two classic ways to turn fiber into sheet: interlacing yarns (weaving) and interlooping yarns (knitting). Non-wovens skip yarn entirely. Fibers — short staple or continuous filaments — are laid directly into a web and then bonded, so the sheet is fiber-scale rather than yarn-scale in structure. Every property difference follows. Without yarn geometry there is no grain, no bias stretch and no woven stability; the web is uniform in all directions or deliberately oriented, typically not strong and not stretchy unless reinforced or bonded heavily, exactly as the definition states. What the route buys is speed and price: a spunlaid line converts polymer to finished fabric in one continuous pass, at volumes and costs weaving cannot approach, which is why non-wovens own the disposable and hidden-layer markets — interfacings, wipes, medical drapes, tea bags, filter media, geotextiles under roads, carpet backing — where a fabric is needed by the square kilometre and judged on engineered function rather than hand or drape. Felt: The Non-Woven Before the WordFelt is named as the example because it proves the category is older than its industry: wool fibers, wetted, soaped and worked, mat together by their surface scales into a sheet with no weaving, knitting or adhesive — bonding by fiber interlocking alone, the same principle needlefelting mechanizes with serrated needles. Modern synthetic non-wovens generalized that principle with polymer fibers and four bonding families — thermal, hydro-entangled, needle-punched and adhesive — each producing a distinct fabric character, from silky spunlace wipes to stiff needlefelt geotextiles. For apparel readers the most familiar non-woven is the fusible interfacing inside collars and waistbands, a web bonded to disappear inside a garment; for industry readers the category is a materials platform specified by weight, bonding and polymer. Either way the definition test is structural: if the sheet was neither woven nor knitted, it is non-woven, whatever it is called commercially. Common QuestionsHow is a non-woven fabric held together?The fiber web has no mechanical resistance on its own, so a bonding step creates the fabric: thermal bonding by calendering through heated rollers, hydro-entanglement by intertwining fibers with water jets, needlefelting by intertwining with serrated needles, or adhesive binding. The bonding method decides the fabric strength, softness and cost. What is the difference between staple and spunlaid non-wovens?Staple non-wovens are made in two steps: fibers are spun, cut to a few centimetres, baled, then spread into a uniform web by wetlaid processing or carding. Spunlaid non-wovens are made in one continuous process — fibers are spun and directly dispersed into a web by deflectors — which gives faster belt speeds and cheaper costs, and combined with thermal bonding is called spunbond. Why are non-wovens used for diapers and wipes?Because they are cheap to manufacture in enormous, consistent quantities, can be engineered soft, absorbent or repellent as the layer requires, and are disposable by design. The definition application list runs from baby diapers, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products to wipes — hygiene is the largest non-woven market, alongside domestic, filter, geotextile and carpet-backing uses. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fabric Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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