Liquid transport and wicking in nonwoven materials

Nonwoven materials are widely used in medical and hygiene applications, and may demonstrate §significant anisotropic characteristics in liquid §transport. This study investigates the anisotropic §liquid transport in such materials, and establishes §a relationship between the structure and anisotropic §properties of liquid transport.§A comprehensive literature review of liquid §transport fibrous materials with particular §reference to its importance in the function of wound §dressings was conducted. A novel computer-integrated §instrument is described that measures the in-plane §liquid transmission in up to eight different §directions. Needle-punched and hydroentangled §fabrics with different structural parameters (fibre §type, fibre diameter, fabric porosity and fibre §orientation) were produced and characterised. The §anisotropic liquid transport properties of these §fabrics were tested using the new instrument. Unique §theoretical models were established to predict the §specific directional permeability of nonwoven §fabrics based on the main fabric structural §parameters (fibre diameter, fabric porosity and §fibre orientation distribution).