HYFabricsupply is a professional non-woven fabric manufacturer of high quality Polypropylene Non-woven Fabric, Polyester spunbonded non-woven fabric, Spunlaced non-woven fabric,and more.
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Flushable spunlace nonwoven is a special type of spunlace nonwoven. While retaining the basic characteristics of spunlace nonwoven such as softness, fluffiness, and high water absorption, it has the property of being able to quickly disperse and degrade under specific conditions (usually in municipal sewage treatment systems) without causing pipe blockages or environmental pollution. The core advantage of this material lies in its "flushability", making it very suitable for scenarios that require convenient disposal and have strict requirements on environmental impact.
The selection of raw materials for flushable spunlace nonwoven is crucial to achieving its flushability, and it usually mainly consists of natural degradable fibers. Common ones include:
Natural cellulose fibers: Such as wood pulp fibers, cotton fibers, bamboo pulp fibers, etc. These fibers are derived from natural plants and have good biodegradability, and are easy to decompose under the action of water and microorganisms. Among them, wood pulp fibers are a commonly used basic raw material due to their low cost, wide sources, and strong water absorption.
Degradable synthetic fibers: Some products will appropriately add some degradable synthetic fibers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. This type of fiber is made from renewable resources (such as corn starch) and can be decomposed by microorganisms in the natural environment. Its addition can improve the strength and durability of the nonwoven to a certain extent without affecting its overall flushability.
Its production process is based on the traditional spunlace process, with special adjustments made for flushability:
Fiber mixing and web forming: The selected natural degradable fibers and degradable synthetic fibers are mixed in a specific proportion, opened, and carded to form a uniform fiber web. The proportion of fibers will directly affect the flushability and usability of the final product, which needs to be precisely controlled.
Spunlace entanglement: High-pressure water jets are used to spray the fiber web, making the fibers entangle with each other to form a nonwoven structure. Compared with ordinary spunlace nonwoven, flushable spunlace nonwoven will optimize parameters such as spunlace pressure and entanglement degree. It is necessary to ensure that the product has a certain strength in the dry state and during use, and at the same time, it can quickly disperse in water to avoid difficulty in decomposition due to excessive entanglement.
Post-treatment: Some products will undergo mild surface treatment, such as adding a small amount of degradable softener to improve the touch, but no chemical reagents that affect the degradation performance will be used. After that, it is made into the final product through processes such as drying and shaping.
Flushability: This is its core performance, which needs to meet relevant international or industry standards (such as the GD4 standard of INDA/EDANA in the United States, the EN 16711 standard in Europe, etc.). Under specified test conditions, the material should be able to quickly disperse into small fiber fragments in water, pass through the screens of municipal sewage treatment systems, and enter subsequent treatment links for degradation.
Usage strength: It should have sufficient strength in the dry state and during wet use (such as during wiping) to avoid damage and ensure normal use functions.
Water absorption: It should maintain high water absorption to meet the needs of cleaning, wiping and other scenarios, which is also one of the inherent advantages of spunlace nonwoven.
Biodegradability: In addition to being able to disperse in water, the dispersed fiber fragments should also be able to be decomposed into harmless substances (such as carbon dioxide and water) by microorganisms in the environment (such as activated sludge in sewage treatment plants), achieving ultimate environmental friendliness.
Personal hygiene products: This is the main application field of flushable spunlace nonwoven, such as flushable wet toilet paper. Such products can be directly flushed into the toilet after use without blocking the sewer, and can be treated by the sewage treatment system, meeting consumers' needs for convenience and environmental protection.
Disposable cleaning products: Such as small flushable cleaning wipes, which are suitable for travel, outdoor and other scenarios. They can be conveniently discarded after use with little impact on the environment.
With the improvement of consumers' environmental awareness and the pursuit of a convenient life, the market demand for flushable spunlace nonwoven is gradually growing. At present, the industry is continuously developing better fiber combinations and production processes to further improve the flushability, usage strength and biodegradation efficiency of products, while reducing production costs and promoting their application in more fields. However, its performance is also affected by the use environment (such as water temperature, water flow rate, type of sewage treatment system, etc.), and relevant instructions for use should still be followed in practical applications.
