Hey there! As a supplier of Pet Non Woven Fabric, I often get asked about the difference between spunbond and meltblown Pet non woven fabric. So, I thought I'd write this blog to clear up any confusion and give you a better understanding of these two types of fabrics.
What is Pet Non Woven Fabric?
Before we dive into the differences between spunbond and meltblown, let's first understand what Pet non woven fabric is. Pet, or polyethylene terephthalate, is a synthetic polymer that's commonly used in the production of plastic bottles, fibers, and films. When it comes to non woven fabric, Pet is melted and extruded through small holes to form fine fibers, which are then bonded together to create a fabric-like material.
Pet non woven fabric has a wide range of applications due to its excellent properties such as high strength, good chemical resistance, and dimensional stability. It's used in various industries including automotive, construction, agriculture, and more. You can check out some of our products for different applications here: Pet Nonwovenfor Automotive Interior, Pet Nonwoven for Construction Decoration, and Pet Nonwoven for Farming Bagging.
Spunbond Pet Non Woven Fabric
Spunbond is one of the most common methods used to produce Pet non woven fabric. Here's how it works:
Manufacturing Process
- Extrusion: Pet pellets are melted and extruded through a spinneret, which has a large number of small holes. This forms continuous filaments.
- Drawing: The filaments are then drawn by high - speed air or mechanical means to reduce their diameter and increase their strength.
- Laying: The drawn filaments are randomly laid onto a moving conveyor belt to form a web.
- Bonding: The web is bonded together using heat, pressure, or chemical adhesives to give the fabric its strength and integrity.
Characteristics
- Strength: Spunbond Pet non woven fabric has relatively high tensile strength, both in the machine direction (MD) and cross - machine direction (CD). This makes it suitable for applications where durability is required.
- Porosity: It has a relatively open structure, which gives it good breathability. This is useful in applications like agriculture where air and water need to pass through the fabric.
- Surface Smoothness: The surface of spunbond fabric is relatively smooth, which can be beneficial for applications where a smooth finish is desired, such as in some automotive interior parts.
Applications
- Automotive: It's used for automotive interior linings, door panels, and trunk liners due to its strength and durability.
- Agriculture: Spunbond Pet non woven fabric is used for crop covers, weed control mats, and farming bagging. Its breathability allows air and water to reach the plants while protecting them from pests and harsh weather conditions.
- Construction: In construction, it can be used as a moisture barrier, insulation backing, and in construction decoration for its strength and dimensional stability.
Meltblown Pet Non Woven Fabric
Meltblown is another method of producing Pet non woven fabric, but it has some significant differences from the spunbond process.
Manufacturing Process
- Extrusion: Similar to spunbond, Pet pellets are melted and extruded through a die with many small holes. However, in the meltblown process, hot high - velocity air is used to attenuate the molten polymer streams into very fine fibers.
- Web Formation: The fine fibers are randomly deposited onto a collector screen to form a web.
- Bonding: The fibers bond to each other during the cooling process due to their entanglement and the residual heat.
Characteristics
- Fiber Diameter: Meltblown Pet non woven fabric consists of very fine fibers, typically in the range of 1 - 10 micrometers. This gives it a high surface area per unit volume.
- Filtration Efficiency: The fine fibers and the random web structure result in a high filtration efficiency. It can capture small particles effectively, making it suitable for filtration applications.
- Softness: The fabric is relatively soft and has a more cushioned feel compared to spunbond fabric.
Applications
- Filtration: Meltblown Pet non woven fabric is widely used in air filters, water filters, and mask filters. Its high filtration efficiency makes it ideal for removing dust, pollen, and other contaminants from the air or water.
- Medical: In the medical field, it can be used for surgical gowns, face masks, and wound dressings due to its filtration properties and softness.
- Insulation: It can also be used as insulation material in some applications because of its fine fiber structure, which can trap air and provide good thermal insulation.
Key Differences Between Spunbond and Meltblown Pet Non Woven Fabric
Fiber Diameter
As mentioned earlier, spunbond fabric has relatively thicker fibers compared to meltblown fabric. The fiber diameter of spunbond is usually in the range of 15 - 30 micrometers, while meltblown fibers are much finer, around 1 - 10 micrometers. This difference in fiber diameter affects many of the fabric's properties.
Strength vs. Filtration
Spunbond fabric is known for its strength and durability. It can withstand high stresses and is suitable for applications where mechanical strength is important. On the other hand, meltblown fabric excels in filtration applications. Its fine fibers and random structure create a tortuous path for particles, allowing it to capture small particles effectively.
Cost
Generally, spunbond Pet non woven fabric is less expensive to produce than meltblown fabric. The manufacturing process of spunbond is relatively simpler and faster, which reduces the production cost. Meltblown fabric requires more complex equipment and a higher energy input due to the use of high - velocity hot air, making it more expensive.
Appearance and Feel
Spunbond fabric has a more uniform and smooth appearance, and it feels relatively stiffer. Meltblown fabric, on the other hand, has a softer and fluffier feel, and its appearance may look more irregular due to the random arrangement of the fine fibers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both spunbond and meltblown Pet non woven fabrics have their own unique properties and applications. Spunbond fabric is great for applications where strength, durability, and breathability are required, while meltblown fabric shines in filtration and applications where softness and high particle capture efficiency are needed.
If you're in the market for Pet non woven fabric for your specific application, I'd be more than happy to help you choose the right type of fabric. Whether it's for automotive, construction, agriculture, or any other industry, we have a wide range of products to meet your needs. Don't hesitate to reach out to us to start a conversation about your procurement requirements.
References
- "Nonwoven Fabric Handbook" by Anandjiwala, R. D., & Rajendran, N.
- "Introduction to Nonwovens" by Bharadwaj, P.