The melt-blown nonwoven process is a manufacturing system that mainstreams the direct conversion of polymers into filaments. It is a conventional fabrication approach of micro and nanofibers where a melt of polymer gets extruded through the small-sized nozzles surrounded by the high-speed blowing gas. Meanwhile, the randomly laid fibers produce a melt-blown nonwoven fabric applicable for sorbents, apparels, filtration, and drug delivery systems.
Having chosen an appropriate and best-suited polymer combined with optimized surface and rheological properties, scientists have become able to produce melt-blown fibers which average diameter is as small as 36nm. However, efforts are being made to add even fine melt-blown fibers.
Along the same lines, we will talk about the melt-blown nonwoven process, its steps in detail, and its applications in diversified fields in this article.
Melt-Blown Nonwoven Process – Detailed
What is Melt-Blown Nonwoven Process and What is it Used for?
The melt-blown nonwoven process is the process accompanied by melt-blown nonwoven mechanism. When the process starts, the high-velocity air blows a molten thermoplastic resin from an extruder die tip onto a take-up screen or conveyer to form a self-bonding web and a fine fibrous.
In the melt blow web, the fibers are put together by a cohesive sticking and entanglement combination. Since the process allows manufacturers to have web directly from molten polymer even without controlled stretching, the process is taken as an advantage-bearing process over other manufacturing fine fiber approaches.
About 40% of the melt-blown material gets utilized in monolithic or in an uncombined state. While the remaining 60% of the melt-blown materials are laminates or composites melt-blown webs with other nonwoven fabric. By now, the most effective use of monolithic melt-blown materials are liquid and air filtration media and oil sorbents.
In short, the melt-blown unwoven process is unique and straightforward if compared with other unwoven techniques. Moreover, in 2019, the global market size of melt-blown nonwoven was around $6.55 billion, expected to reach $13.48 billion by the end of 2027 with a CAGR of 9.4%. Nevertheless, the melt-blown materials offer a low to moderate level of strength for webs.
Melt-Blown Applications
In industries, there is extensive use of melt-blown material. Here are some of the most significant melt-blown nonwoven applications:
1. Filtration Media
Filtration media comes up as the most effective application of the melt-blown process. For now, the best-known and used application is face mask filter media. The application involves both gaseous and liquid filtration. Similarly, melt-blown applications are also found for cartridge filters and cleanroom filters.
3. Medical Fabrics ：
The second-largest application of the melt-blown nonwoven process is found in the surgical or medical field. The significant segments dealt with under this application are sterilization wrap, drape, and gown segments. Now in the pandemic situation, this application of the melt-blown process has reached its culmination.
3. Sanitary Products
Melt-blown products are being overwhelmingly used to protect two types of sanitary products: disposable adult incontinence absorbent products and feminine sanitary napkins. There has been a massive increase in this application of the melt-blown nonwoven process in recent years.
4. Oil Adsorbents
Melt-blown materials are present in various physical forms designed to pick up oily materials from a specific place. The most adopted application of oil adsorbent is the picking up of oil from the surface of the water because oil might fall in the water in an accident.
5. Hot-Melt Adhesives
The melt-blown nonwoven machine has a specific feature that adds enormous value to this process; the melt-blown can handle almost any thermoplastic material with ease. Due to this property, the task of formulating a hot-melt adhesive can get simplified greatly to form an ultimate uniform adhesive web.
6. Electronic Applications
In electronics, there are two significant applications of melt-blown; the first one is the liner fabric in the disks, and the second one is battery separators like insulation in capacitors.
Boyu is one of the leading industries that provide users with the best quality solutions for their diverse needs. Here, our point of discussion was the melt-blown nonwoven process that has numerous applications in various fields. Henceforth, this is the prime time to plunge into this vast market, and Boyu can assist you the best in such a manner. Zeroing in on the developing trend of the top-of-the-line melt-blown nonwoven market and joining the trend-setting innovation and equipment of the global nonwoven industry, Boyu has effectively marketed the melt-blown nonwoven production lines with independent intellectual property rights.
