Heat stretching treatment (HST) to side-by-side bicomponent meltblown webs has been carried out on the Stretch Consolidation Pilot Line at the UTK-TANDEC Demonstration Laboratory, to examine the influence of HST on the web structure and properties. The results showed that the fibers aligned preferentially along machine direction after the treatment. Changes in the web structure and properties were studied, including basis weight, thickness, air permeability, tensile strength, bending stiffness, as well as extension recovery (%) from the strain of 50% elongation-to-break, etc. No fiber splitting was observed, which indicated that HST did not result in fiber splitting in the bicomponent meltblown webs as desired.
References
1.
HassenboehlerCharles, “Technology for Stretchable Non-Elastic Nonwovens,” Proceedings of 10th Annual International TANDEC Nonwovens Conference, November 7–10, 2000.
2.
HassenboehlerCharles, “High Stretch Nonwoven Made from Your Hand Sample,” Proceedings of 12th Annual International TANDEC Nonwovens Conference, November 19–21, 2002.
