Nonwoven fabrics are fibrous webs where the individual fibers are bonded together. The bonding process replaces the weaving that is used to manufacture traditional woven textiles. By virtue of the variety of materials and processing methods available, low cost nonwoven fabrics have found their way into many every-day commodities. Examples of common nonwoven products include wipes and towels, medial fabrics, roofing production, apparel linings, filter media, and bedding products.
The nonwoven web must be bonded together in some way because by themselves the loose agglomeration of fibers generally has insufficient strength to be handled. This bonding operation can be mechanical, thermal, or chemical. Table 1 shows some of the methods that can be used for combining fibers in nonwovens. This article will deal with chemical bonding, which is the most popular form of binding. Chemical binders normally require an adhesive formulation that is often based on a polymeric latex emulsion.The binder provides the cohesive strength required for structural integrity of the nonwoven fabric.