Comparative Study on Kenaf Nonwoven for Automotive Headliner

摘要

Kenaf fiber nonwonvens are increasingly used for making automotive interior trim parts because of their excellent strength and renewability. An application example is use of kenaf fiber in replacing glass fiber for making automotive headliner. This paper studied two types of kenaf nonwovens, carded nonwoven and airlaid nonwoven, designed for this end use. Tensile and bending properties were measured using the Instron and QT/5 tensile testers and a special attachment. Dynamic mechanical property related to temperature was tested using the DMS instruments. Thermal conductivity was tested using a thermal conductivity meter FOX200. Kenaf fiber distribution was also evaluated using an image technique. Main effects of kenaf content, padding times, binder materials, and nonwoven density on the headliner end-use performance were compared or analyzed using the statistical method.