Development of Ceramic and Glass Fiber Needle-Punched Nonwoven Fabrics Part I: An Optimization

Abstract

Abstract The study on the performance of areal density of web, needle punching density, and needle depth of penetration, particularly, the combination of glass and ceramic fiber nonwoven fabrics over the mechanical, thermal, and filtration properties were studied with the Box-Behnken experimental design. For the requirement of filtration behavior, three sets of samples with varying glass fiber areal densities of 250, 300, and 350g/m2 were taken and added with ceramic fibers to achieve sandwich-blend nonwoven materials of 60/40, 50/50, and 40/60 ratios. Then, the processing variables were taken as needle punch density and needle depth of penetration, and three optimized samples were predicted using the Box-Behnken experimental design based on the filtration efficiency of the exhaust along with their mechanical and thermal properties. It is also found that there was significant influence on the properties by the variables taken for the product development for the filters. It was found that there was a significant increase in the tensile properties in the optimized samples, and it was found that the results taken for the optimization process were unaltered.