Fabrication, characterization and deformation behavior of a new acrylate copolymer-based nonwoven structure

Abstract

A method of fabricating nonwoven structure from dry-laid cotton fibers and atomized acrylate copolymer is presented. The method based on a consolidation pressure of about 2kPa and room temperature curing, is used to produce structures with fiber mass to binder volume ratio (FBR) of 0.7, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3. Structurally stable structures are produced and characterized in terms of their bursting strength, areal density, water absorption, and monotonic deformation behavior. At constant FBR, the bursting strength and areal density of the structures increases with the fiber mass. The structures’ water absorption capacity reduces with the increase in the volume of binder applied. At FBR of 1 and area density of 295 grams per square meter, the structure’s load-strain curve is characterized by a linear and non-linear behavior corresponding to elastic and inelastic strain, respectively. At peak loads, the structure’s deformation is relatively uniform but becomes localized as the failure point is approached. A good correspondence is established between the strain assessment based on uniaxial tensile test and on image correlation using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) method. The average vector magnitude derived from PIV measurement, correlate well with the engineering strain and can thus be used for strain estimation.