Experiments in production of nonwoven samples

Material feed to card Waste (g)/% of Composition of % of Coolmax  

As in previously described trials, the fibers were carded a second time with the flat top card, resulting in greatly improved performance. This is because the fibers become less entangled and more oriented each time they pass though the card. The card was thoroughly cleaned of fibers after this second carding. These waste fibers were collected and weighed, as shown in Table 10.8. 

The card webs, after the second carding, were placed on top of a paper-thin, spun-bonded non woven and secured with double faced tape. This spun-bonded material, carrying along the card web, was fed into a James Hunter Fiber Locker - a needle-punch machine, with a needle density of 81 needles per square inch. Several needled fabrics were produced in this manner  

The experiment was repeated using 33% acrylic fiber as a carrier instead of cotton. The carding performance and composition and proportion of waste removed was the same as observed with the cotton blend. In all cases the material processed without incident in the needle-punch machine, and the resultant needled nonwovens had a satisfactory appearance, the double density products having the best. The main problem with this process was the high proportion of waste fiber generated at carding. 

This fiber could be blended with new fiber and carded over and over again. Each passage would result in further straightening of fibers, allowing some of the fibers to become part of the outpnt card web. Some of the fibers again would be ejected as waste. The fibers which become part of the card web could be made into yam 

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