Optimized hydroentanglement processing parameters for nonwoven fabrics composed entirely of cotton fibers

A study was conducted on a commercial grade hydroentanglement system to assess the effects of jet strip configuration in terms of both orifice diameter (0.10 mm, 0.12 mm, and 0.14 mm) as well as the number of orifices per inch (40 and 50) on the properties of resultant nonwoven cotton fabrics at various hydroentanglement pressures (0, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5, and 14.0 MPa). It was found that an increase in the energy applied to the fabric web resulted in a nonwoven with increased absorbency. The results of air permeability testing indicate that a combination of variations in the orifice diameter and the number of orifices per inch as well as the energy applied determine the overall air permeability of the fabric. Tensile testing revealed that increasing the energy applied to the fabric resulted in increased strength in both the machine and cross directions and decreased elongations. These results indicate that the mechanical and performance characteristics of nonwoven cotton fabrics produced by hydroentanglement may be manipulated to obtain the desired characteristics for the targeted end-use application.