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I. Core Manufacturing Principles
Paper production, namely papermaking, is centered on the wet process. Plant fibers are dispersed into pulp in water, then formed into a web and dewatered. During dehydration, fibers bond into thin sheets through hydrogen bonds. In short, fibers are adhered by intermolecular attraction.
Nonwoven production directly lays fibers into a uniform web and reinforces it via physical or chemical means without spinning or weaving. Its core procedures are web formation and web consolidation.
Specially, wet-laid nonwovens are fiber webs formed by dewatering a mixture of water, fibers and chemical additives in special forming machines, further consolidated by physical or chemical treatments. It shall be emphasized that the integrity and mechanical properties of wet-laid nonwoven webs are not mainly reinforced by hydrogen bonding. Such fiber aggregates are defined as wet-laid nonwovens.
To distinguish wet-laid nonwovens from paper, unified criteria are formulated: materials are classified as nonwovens if fibers with a slenderness ratio over 300 account for more than 50% of the total mass; or if such fibers exceed 30% by mass with a density lower than 0.4 g/cm³. Otherwise, they are categorized as paper. Therefore, wet-laid nonwovens feature lower density, longer fibers and non-hydrogen-bond dominant bonding.
II. Differences in Raw Materials
Paper adopts relatively single raw materials, mainly short natural plant fibers such as wood pulp and bamboo pulp.
Nonwovens have extensive raw material sources covering almost all fiber types:
- Synthetic fibers: Polypropylene, polyester (mainstream materials)
- Natural fibers: Cotton, linen, silk and wool
- Regenerated fibers: Viscose fiber
- Special fibers: Glass fiber, carbon fiber
III. Structural and Performance Differences
Paper fibers are arranged in a two-dimensional plane with tight combination and tiny pores.
Nonwoven fibers present a three-dimensional network structure with fluffy texture and large connected pores.
- Strength: The strength of paper drops sharply when wet (excluding wet-strength paper); nonwovens maintain excellent strength in both dry and wet conditions, and most are washable.
- Hand feel and function: Paper is thin, smooth and homogeneous, suitable for printing; nonwovens are highly customizable in performance, available in soft, thick, lightweight or rigid styles, and possess outstanding air permeability, filtration performance and elasticity.
- Durability: Paper is mostly disposable; nonwovens include disposable products (medical supplies) and durable products (shopping bags, geotextiles).
IV. Differences in Typical Applications
Paper: Used for writing, printing, packaging, household paper (toilet paper, facial tissue), paper cups and paper bags, focusing on information recording, storage and sanitary absorption.
Nonwovens:
- Medical and hygiene: Surgical gowns, face masks, wet wipes, diaper top sheets, etc.
- Industry and agriculture: Filter materials, geotextiles, thermal insulation materials, etc.
- Daily life: Shopping bags, home decorations, garment interlinings, tea bags, etc.
- Advanced fields: Battery separators, composite substrates, smart fabrics, etc.
They are mainly applied for isolation and protection, filtration and separation, structural reinforcement and liquid storage.
V. Differences in Environmental Characteristics
Paper is made of renewable and biodegradable raw materials with mature recycling technologies, yet it consumes forest resources and is mostly disposable.
Nonwovens have complex environmental impacts. Disposable nonwoven products such as masks cause environmental pressure, while durable products like reusable shopping bags reduce waste. Meanwhile, biodegradable nonwovens represented by polylactic acid (PLA) materials are developing rapidly and emerging as a new mainstream demand for environmental protection.
