When discussing the basic materials of wet wipes, non-woven fabric is a must-mention. Non-woven fabric is a type of nonwoven material made by directly using polymer chips, short fibers, or filaments to form a web through airflow or mechanical means. This web is then reinforced through hydroentangling, needle punching, or thermal rolling, and finally finished to form a non-woven fabric. Hydroentangled non-woven fabric is made by spraying high-pressure micro-jet water onto one or more layers of fiber web, causing the fibers to entangle and thus strengthening the web to a certain degree. The resulting fabric is called hydroentangled non-woven fabric.
The raw material for wet wipes is spunlace nonwoven fabric, which is a nonwoven fabric produced using the spunlace process. Spunlace nonwoven fabric is made by reinforcing the fiber web with high-pressure water jets. With its high strength, resistance to pilling, high moisture absorption, and good drape, it has become the main material for medical bandaging materials and wound dressings, aviation wipes, high-grade wipes in the electronics industry, towels, cotton pads, wet wipes, and mask coverings.
Because polyester has poor hydrophilicity, the moisture in wet wipes tends to increase over time due to gravity, resulting in the upper layer of wipes being drier while the lower layer retains more moisture, which can be inconvenient. Furthermore, the chemical fibers in 100% polyester wet wipes are difficult to completely degrade in the natural environment after use; currently, almost all wet wipe production in China uses spunlace nonwoven fabric.
Generally, the lower the proportion of polyester, the softer the nonwoven fabric, but the higher the cost. Mid- to high-end baby wipes typically have a polyester-viscose ratio of around 5:5. At this ratio, the wipes have a moderate softness when used and are not prone to pilling after wiping. Because viscose has better water retention than 100% polyester wipes, the wipes don't feel as wet even with increased water content.
The spunlace nonwoven fabric used for wet wipes is mainly composed of viscose (a natural fiber primarily made of cotton) and polyester (a chemical fiber). It's often described as having a 3:7, 5:5, or 7:3 ratio, referring to the proportion of viscose to polyester. A 3:7 ratio means 30% viscose and 70% polyester. A 7:3 ratio means 70% viscose and 30% polyester. Higher viscose content naturally results in better quality, but also higher cost and price. Higher viscose content also makes the fabric softer and more absorbent.
Viscose fiber nonwoven fabric can burn completely after being ignited, leaving no residue in the ash. This method can easily determine whether the substrate of wet wipes contains polyester. All-polyester wet wipes, after drying, will produce a large amount of black smoke and clump together when their substrate is ignited.
Qianzhao Company 's non-woven fabric is placed outdoors and decomposes naturally, its maximum lifespan is only 90 days. If placed indoors, it decomposes within 5 years. When burned, it is non-toxic, odorless, and leaves no residue, thus not polluting the environment and is easy to wash.
Non-woven fabric wipes are characterized by their high filtration efficiency against bacteria and dust, low infection rate, convenient sterilization, and ease of combination with other materials. They are not only convenient and hygienic to use, but also effectively prevent bacterial infections and iatrogenic cross-infection.
