Glossary of Nonwoven Terms
Glossary of nonwoven terms explains nonwoven fabric meaning in simple language for buyers, procurement and students. Many visitors also search this as non woven material means and nonwoven means, so this page covers all related definitions including spunbond, meltblown, SMS, SMMS, GSM, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spunlace, needlepunch, airlaid and medical terms from Olefins Pakistan. Updated as per Olefins TDS library.
Nonwoven Fabric Glossary A-Z
Nonwoven Fabric - Nonwoven Fabric Meaning
Nonwoven fabric meaning refers to fabric made directly from fibers bonded by heat, chemical or mechanical processes, not woven or knitted. Used for hygiene, medical and industrial applications. See what is nonwoven fabric guide for detail.
Non Woven Material Means - Nonwoven Means - Unwoven Fabric
Non woven material means the same as nonwoven fabric — web of fibers bonded together without weaving. Common spelling variations include unwoven fabric, no woven, non woven material and un-woven fabric, all refer to nonwoven. Olefins manufactures this material in Pakistan with OEM slit and treatment as per TDS.
Spunbond (S Layer) - Spunbonded Olefin
Spunbond is continuous filament layer, strong S layer used for bags, hygiene topsheet and agriculture cover. Spunbonded olefin is different high density olefin sheet like Tyvek. Available in multiple GSM options as per Olefins TDS.
Meltblown (M Layer)
Meltblown is microfiber filtration layer, fine barrier used as middle layer of SMS and SMMS. Tested as per international standards, see TDS for details.
SMS, SMMS, SSMMS, SMMS vs SMS
S is spunbond, M is meltblown. SMS is S plus M plus S, SMMS is S plus M plus M plus S for higher barrier, SSMMS is extra S for strength. Used for medical gowns, drapes and hygiene. See SMS vs SMMS comparison guide for selection.
GSM - Basis Weight
GSM is grams per square meter, basis weight of fabric. Measured as per international standard, tolerance as per Olefins lab report and TDS. Refer TDS for exact GSM option without assuming figure.
Hydrophilic vs Hydrophobic - Surfactant Treatment
Hydrophilic absorbs liquid quickly for diaper topsheet with surfactant finish for fast strike-through. Hydrophobic repels liquid for backsheet and medical gowns for fluid resistance. Both treatments available as per TDS with OEM slit and durability as per lab report.
CD / MD - Cross Direction / Machine Direction
CD is cross direction width wise, MD is machine direction length wise. Tensile and elongation differ in CD vs MD, tested as per international method.
Tensile Strength, Elongation, Tear Strength
Tensile is breaking force, elongation is stretch before break, tear strength is resistance to tearing, all tested as per international method, reported in TDS with method and tolerance as per lab report.
Calendar Bonding - S Dot, Diamond, Oval Pattern
Calendar bonding uses heated rollers to bond web. S dot pattern is soft for hygiene, diamond pattern is strong for bags, oval is balanced. Selection depends on softness and strength need.
Spunlace - Hydroentangled
Spunlace is hydroentangled nonwoven bonded by high pressure water jets, soft, lint-free, used for wet wipes and medical wipes.
Needlepunch - Needle Felt
Needlepunch is mechanically entangled by barbed needles, thick felt for geotextile, filtration and automotive.
Airlaid - Air Through Bonding
Airlaid is air-laid pulp and fiber core bonded by air through bonding for high absorbency, used for hygiene cores. Also used as ADL acquisition layer.
ADL - Acquisition Distribution Layer
ADL is acquisition distribution layer that quickly acquires and distributes liquid to core, used in diapers and sanitary napkins.
Bicomponent Fiber - Bico - Core Sheath - Side by Side
Bicomponent is two polymers in one fiber. Core sheath is PP core PE sheath for softness. Side by side crimps for bulk. Used for soft topsheet.
PP, PE, PET, PLA, BOPP
PP is polypropylene main raw material for spunbond. PE is polyethylene for soft film and fiber. PET is polyester for strength. PLA is polylactic acid bio-based. BOPP is biaxially oriented PP film laminated to nonwoven for bags.
Denier, Decitex, Filament, Staple Fiber, Web
Denier and decitex is linear density of fiber, filament is continuous fiber, staple is short cut fiber, web is unbonded fiber layer before bonding.
Strike-Through, Rewet, Hydrostatic Head, Breathability
Strike-through is liquid pass time for topsheet, rewet is liquid return to surface, hydrostatic head is water resistance, breathability is air and moisture vapor passage. All tested as per international method, refer TDS.
BFE, PFE, VFE - Filtration Efficiency
BFE is bacterial filtration efficiency, PFE is particle filtration efficiency, VFE is viral filtration efficiency for masks and medical, tested as per international standard as per lab report and TDS library.
Softness, Hand-Feel, Loft, Linting, Pilling
Softness and hand-feel is touch for hygiene, loft is thickness and bulk, linting is fiber shedding, pilling is small balls on surface, all affect quality perception.
Olefin, Polyolefin, Masterbatch, UV, Antistatic
Olefin is polyolefin family. Masterbatch is color or additive concentrate. UV additive protects from sun for agriculture, antistatic reduces static charge, both available as per TDS.
TDS, COA, MSDS, COC, Medical Grade, OEM, FOB, CFR
TDS is technical data sheet, COA is certificate of analysis per lot, MSDS is safety sheet, COC is certificate of conformance. Medical grade is certified for hospital use as per EN and AAMI classification. OEM is private label slit and packing. FOB and CFR are freight terms as per current quote from Karachi.
How Procurement Uses This Glossary at Olefins Pakistan
Buyer translates terms into purchase spec. When tech sheet says hydrophilic spunbond with S dot and slit, you are using four glossary terms. At Olefins Pakistan, you tell application — diaper topsheet, sanitary napkin, medical drape, shopping bag, geotextile, wipes — we suggest GSM option, treatment and width from this glossary, share TDS as per international standard and provide lab sample for line trial. Available FOB Karachi and CFR to GCC as per current freight, with OEM service as per TDS. Contact info@olefins.net for TDS library.
