Lattice Model for the Drape and Bending Properties of Nonwoven Fabrics

摘要

A discrete lattice model is presented to study the factors controlling the bending stiffness of nonwoven fabrics. The approach lends itself very easily to a detailed study of the importance of bonding pattern, laydown nonuniformities, fiber length, and orientation distribution. We find that nonwovens with a three-dimensional fiber orientation distribution have a much lower bending stiffness that those with a planar distribution. Variations in fiber density across the fabric thickness are also of great importance. Thus, random variations due to nonuniformities in the laydown process typically increase the bending stiffness, whereas the latter can be considerably decreased by concentrating most of the fiber weight within the neutral (or mid-) plane of a fabric. Our results in the limit of full bonding are in good quantitative agreement with those obtained from Freeston and Plait's classic model.