Merits and Limitations of Nonwovens against Wovens

Nonwoven textiles represent a unique way of forming a fabric which has many advantages over woven textiles. In making nonwovens many processes like spinning of fibres into yarn, winding, warping sizing and weaving are omitted. The raw material is opened and made into a batt by a variety of means and the fibres are entangled by mechanical or thermal or chemical means to form a fabric.

The chief merits and limitations of Nonwovens against traditional woven material is broadly tabulated below.

Merits and Limitations of Nonwovens against wovens
Merits	Limitations
Lower Labour Employment	High Cost of Equipments
Shorter processing sequence	Few Indigenous manufacturers of repute
High Production rates	Need to develop market
Ability to process recycled and waste fibres	Lower Tensile and Tear strength
Wider width of fabrics upto 10-25m possible	Low Abrasion Resistance
Non dierectional properties of fabric due to random orientation of fibres	Lower life(Very enhanced in blankets and carpets)
Higher In-plane Water permeability(especially with needle punched)	Pilling tendency and boll formation
Higher filtration Efficiency(especially with needle punched)	Low strength utilisation of fibres
Ability to take the shape of the surface to which it is laid	Lack of Technical personnel with adequate knowledge and experience
Higher Friction to soil	Lack of trained operatives and fitters
Ability to utilise the properties of fibres in a better way	Difficulty in getting spare parts