Effect of specimen size and strain rate on the tensile properties of heat-sealed and needle-punched nonwoven fabrics

Abstract

<span style="font-size: 14.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">The tensile behaviour of heat-sealed and needle-punched spunbonded nonwoven fabrics has been evaluated by conventional narrow-strip and wide-width test methods using a wide range of strain rates. The tensile properties of these

<span style="font-size: 14.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">fabrics are influenced by the specimen size and strain rate, depending on the fabric structure. The initial modulus obtained from narrow-strip test is found to be significantly lower as compared to that obtained from wide-width test of needle punched nonwoven fabrics, while the specimen width has very little effect on the initial modulus in case of heat-sealed nonwoven fabrics. The breaking stress of narrow-strip samples is always lower than that of the wide-width samples, irrespective of structure type. The effect of strain rate on breaking extension is marginal in case of needle-punched fabrics but significant in case of heat-sealed fabrics. The fabric structure influences the tensile behaviour of both heat-sealed and needle-punched nonwoven fabrics in general and at slow strain rates in particular.

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