The mechanical properties of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics depend on the fiber entanglement effected by the needles. The needle barbs catch the fibers during punching and lead them into the thickness direction, creating fiber-to-fiber entanglement. In this research, we propose a method to estimate the number of fibers caught by a needle barb. We compare the results of our calculations with experimental data derived from micro scopic observations. Also, we consider the relationship between the number of caught fibers and the penetrating force of a needle barb, and we discuss the relationship between these factors and the tensile properties of the nonwoven fabric.
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