Investigation of three-dimensional microstructural features of wood pulp-based wetlaid materials with/without hydroentanglement

Abstract

Wood pulp-based wetlaid/spunlace (wetlace) material used for cleaning care has sufficient wet strength and disintegration after use. To obtain the effect of high-speed waterjet needle on the change of internal microstructural features of the material, wood pulp/Danufil wetlaid materials with/without hydroentanglement were prepared, and the microstructures of materials were reconstructed virtually by Micro-CT technology. The fault color images of materials along the thickness direction were received and statistical analysis was carried out by software. The results suggest that the pore diameter, fiber longitudinal arrangement and thickness of wetlaid web increases obviously after hydroentanglement. Meanwhile, the layer pore rate of each side of wetlaid and wetlace materials gradually both decreased from outside to inside, and are kept constant at 76% and 67% in the intermediate position, respectively. Furthermore, the longitudinal fiber content of each fault plane on both sides of the material is large, but the fiber arrangement is isotropic when it closes to the scanning center. Overall, hydroentanglement endows the wood pulp-based wetlaid material with special microstructural features and sufficient water absorption.