Numerical and Experimental Study of Nonwoven Formation Processes

Nonwovens, as new engineered fabrics using polymers were first created in the 20th century. They were rapidly manufactured and put in daily use because of their low cost and competitive properties compared to traditional knitted fabrics and textiles. Nonwoven fabrics can be manufactured in several ways, such as spunbonding, meltblowing, needle punching, electrospinning, and so on. They are widely used in multiple fields, such as medical and personal care, construction, and daily-use products. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the nonwoven formation process and nonwoven applications to develop a tool for product innovations in related applications. Specifically, a theoretical and computational description of the spunbond process is developed, which provides a global view of spunbond product innovation by manipulating processing parameters. Nonwoven products in the filtration field are innovated using electrospinning, targeting both COVID-19-sized particles and proteins, which are expected to be pioneer ideas for actual industrialized applications.