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How to produce the best disposable nonwoven medical textiles

Nonwovens Lamination | Andrea Ruggiero, 10 March 2020

[UPDATED ON APRIL 2022]

The medical market relies heavily on the nonwovens industry for medical textiles and that demand is increasing.

Currently, we are seeing a major shift from the use of reusable textiles to single-use disposables, which offer a soft, stretchable material that is absorbent and acts as a barrier to viruses, bacteria, and other transmittable particles.

The main reason nonwoven fabrics have been chosen as the preferred candidate for medical textiles is that various properties of the material can be tightly controlled to produce the right textile for a specific use. Properties that can be easily controlled include:

  • Porosity
  • Thickness
  • Weight
  • Stretchiness
  • Surface softness
  • Ease of sterilization

In addition, nonwoven medical textiles are inexpensive and quick to produce, making mass production easy. This is particularly useful when demand is high.

Increasing demand for Medical Textiles

There has been a growing need for nonwoven medical textiles around the world in recent years. A significant factor in this rising need is the increasing rate at which we are experiencing outbreaks of infectious disease, including both known and new diseases. The current coronavirus outbreak is a prime example of this.

With a growing need for nonwoven medical textiles, knowing how to mass produce these products is critical. In order to accomplish this, it is important to understand the key characteristics of high-quality medical textiles.

The best materials for disposable nonwoven medical textiles

When it comes to making the best nonwoven medical textiles, it is critical to start right from the beginning by choosing the best materials. These include:

  • Drylaid – Natural or manmade fibers that are blended and carded to produce a strong isotropic web structure.
  • Spunlaid – Strong material that can be used as thermal binding fibers, thus making it possible to produce the medical textile at the same time as producing the fibers. This makes spunlaid nonwoven production very economical.

The nonwoven material and a polyethylene film are then joined together using a hot melt adhesive with a full coating or multiline pattern to ensure good bonding and a high-quality composite.

Read more on our wiki: Nonwovens Lamination

The qualities of the best disposable nonvowen medical textiles

The characteristics of a quality product include:

  • High wet strength
  • High shear strength
  • Outstanding barrier properties
  • Resistant to abrasion and tears
  • Low odor
  • Sterilization-friendly
  • Long shelf-life (3+ years)
  • Meet medical regulatory compliance

Key challenges in the production of nonwoven medical textiles

Since the quality of medical textiles can literally mean the difference between life and death, their production must be tightly controlled. The primary challenges when making medical textiles are:

Adhesive distribution across the coating head

This may result in the uneven distribution of the adhesive, which can leave areas with no adhesive (causing a loose or leaky composite) or areas with too much adhesive (causing areas of the composite to be bulky and stiff).

Bleed-through

This happens when the adhesive bleeds through the medical textile as it is being applied. This can result in adhesive leaking through and contaminating machine parts and seepage into the nonwoven fibers.

Adhesive degradation

This is the degradation of the adhesive during application, which can compromise the quality of the medical textiles produced.

For more information on how to handle these three key challenges, see our article: 3 Main Process Challenges in Textile Backsheet Lamination (+ How to Solve Them).

Results and product applications

The high-quality production of medical textiles results in a composite material that has high breathability and absorbency and is effective at keeping out dangerous pathogens that can be transmitted through the air or via bodily fluids. These medical textiles can then be used for many different medical applications, such as:

  • Surgical gowns
  • Drapes
  • Face masks
  • Medical caps
  • Shoe coverings
  • Bandaging
  • Bed coverings
  • Pillow coverings

Nonwoven medical textiles protect and save the lives of both patients and healthcare workers. Since they play such an important role, it is critical that they are made to the very highest standards. To accomplish that you must not only be aware of the most important characteristics of high-quality nonwoven medical textiles, but also the potential challenges faced during production. When you have full oversight of production, you can ensure the very best medical textiles for today’s demanding medical landscape.

If you are interested in pro-tips in nonwoven lamination process, you can download our free eBook 4 Essential Hacks for Your Lamination Process!

4 Essential Hacks for Your Lamination Process