ABSTRACT

Recent strong advances of nonwoven products into the textile market, and even more recent incorporation of cotton fibers into traditionally synthetic nonwoven products require development of methods for studying these structures to determine relationships of fiber types to each other, and for better understanding of processes of fabric formation. Fibers in traditional fabrics are generally paralleled, and twisted into yarns that are then woven or knitted into fabrics. However, fiber orientation in nonwovens is generally random. For many years microscopic procedures have been applied to studying textile fibers, as well as woven and knitted fabrics processed from the fibers. Many of these procedures can be applied in studying nonwovens. However, because of differences in structural aspects between woven and nonwoven materials, it is sometimes necessary to adapt these procedures, or even develop new ones. Applications of microscopy to studying nonwovens will be shown, and these compared with use of the techniques for woven textiles.