TT 505.601 NONWOVENS PhD FPS - NCSU Edmir Silva (2010). M.Sc., The Meltblowing Process. 1/10 THE MELT-BLOWING PROCESS Edmir Silva, a The melt-blowing process is a one step process in which high-velocity air blows a molten thermoplastic resin from an extruder die tip onto a conveyor or take-up screen to form a fine fibered self-bonding web. Research in patents issued showed high concentration of developments between 1992 and 2001. This process is unique because it is used almost exclusively to produce micro-fibers rather than fibers the size of normal textile fibers. Melt-blown micro-fibers generally have diameters in the range of 2 to 4 μm, although they may be as small as 0.1 μm and as large as 10 to 15 μm. Keywords: Nonwovens; Melt-blowing process; Spun-laid process; Web Formation; Nanofibers Contact information: a: College of Textiles, NCSU, email: easilva@ncsu.edu INTRODUCTION Melt-blown nowoven fabrics are finding more and more applications in the industry and society in general. Due to its unique characteristics, melt-blown nonwoven fabrics are especially popular for medical use and in filters. This is primarily due to its ability to produce microfibers. Melt-blown microfibers have diameters ranging from 2 to 4 microns, although they may be as small as 0.1 micron or as large as 10 or 15 microns. These microfibers can prove to be beneficial for melt-blown fabrics in the parameters of softness, cover, porosity and rigidity. Melt-blown technology is still in a fairly early growth stage and has an exhilarating future because it is so versatile, low capital intensive, and direct to product. Due to such advantages, in the past, most of the emphasis has been toward product development. However, the fundamental concept of this process has not been fully explored and understood. According to INDA (Association of Nonwoven fabric Industry, www.inda.org), melt-blowing is a nonwoven web forming process that extrudes and draws molten polymer resins with heated, high velocity air to form fine filaments. The filaments are cooled and collected as a web onto a moving screen. In some ways the process is similar to the spun-bond process, but melt-blown fibers are much finer and generally measured in microns. Melt-blowing is a spun-laid process. The term is also spelled “melt-blowing”.