Lattice Model for the Drape and Bending Properties of Nonwoven Fabrics

Abstract

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 distribu tion 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 Platt's classic model.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Chu, C.C. , Cummings, C.L. , and Teixeira, N.A. , Mechanics of Elastic Performance of Textile Materials. Part V: A Study of the Factors Affecting the Drape of Fabrics— The Development of a Drape Meter, Textile Res. J. 20, 539-548 (1950).

Collier, B.J. , Measurement of Fabric Drape and its Relation to Fabric Mechanical Properties and Subjective Evaluation, Clothing Textiles J. 9, 46-52 (1991).

Collier, J.R. , Collier, B.J. , O'Toole , Gina , and Sargand, S.M. , Drape Prediction by Means of Finite Element Analysis, J. Textile Inst. 82, 96-107 (1991).

Cusick, G.E. , The Resistance of Fabrics to Shearing Forces, J. Textile Inst. 52, 395-406 (1961).

Freeston, W.D. , and Platt, M.M. , Mechanics of Elastic Performance of Textile Materials, Part XVI: Bending Rigidity of Nonwoven Fabrics, Textile Res. J. 35, 48-57 (1965).

Freudenthal, A.M. , "Introduction to the Mechanics of Solids," John Wiley & Sons, NY, 1966.

Gaucher, M.L. , King, M.W. , and Johnston , B. , Predicting the Drape Coefficient of Knitted Fabrics, Textile Res. J. 53, 297-303 (1983).

Hearle, J.W.S. , and Amirbayat, J. , Analysis of Drape by Means of Dimensionless Groups, Textile Res. J. 56, 727-733 (1986).

Hu, J. , and Chan, Y.-F. , Effect of Fabric Mechanical Properties on Drape, Textile Res. J. 68(1), 57-64 (1998).

10.

Lee, S.M. , and Argon, A.S. , The Mechanics of the Bending of Nonwoven Fabrics, Part I: Spunbonded Fabric (Cerex), J. Textile Inst. 74(1), 1-11 (1983).

11.

Morooka, H. , and Niwa, M. , Relation Between Drape Coefficients and Mechanical Properties of Fabrics, J. Textile Machin. Soc. Jpn. 22(3), 67-73 (1976).

12.

Niwa, M. , and Seto, F. , Relationship Between Drapeability and Mechanical Properties of Fabrics , J. Textile Machin. Soc. Jpn. 39(11), 161-168 (1986).

13.

Park, T.Y. , and Ghosh, T.K. , Modeling and Structural Analysis of the Bending Rigidity of Nonwoven Fabrics , J. Korean Fiber Soc. 36(6), 455-462 (1999).

14.

Patel, S.V. , and Warner, S.B. , Modeling the Bending Stiffness of Point Bonded Nonwoven Fabrics, Textile Res. J. 64(9), 507-513 (1994).

15.

Pierce, F.T. , The Handle of Cloth as a Measurable Quantity, J. Textile Inst. 21, T377-417 (1930).

16.

Sudnick, Z.M. , Objective Measurement of Fabric Drape: Practical Experience in the Laboratory, Textile Inst. Ind. 59(1), 14-18 (1972).

17.

Termonia, Y. , Meakin, P. , and Smith, P. , Theoretical Study of the Influence of the Molecular Weight on the Maximum' Tensile Strength of Polymer Fibers, Macromolecules 18, 2246-2252 (1985).