Exploring the "Hidden Cost" of Nonwoven Fabrics for Wet Wipes: How Much Water Are You Really Buying
1. What is Moisture Regain?
Moisture regain refers to the percentage of water absorbed by non woven fabric for wet wipes under specific temperature and humidity conditions, relative to its dry weight. While an appropriate amount of water helps maintain the softness and skin-friendliness of the material, excessive moisture regain means too much water, which can affect fabric performance and lead to additional management cost.
For example, if the moisture regain of the non woven fabric for wet wipes exceeds industry standards, you might be paying not only for the fabric itself but also for "buying too much water."
2. The Relationship Between Moisture Regain and Dangerous Mold in Wet Wipes
If the moisture regain is too high, it can cause mold growth during transportation and storage, reducing the shelf life of the non woven fabric for wet wipes and affecting product quality.
3. High Moisture Regain Increases “Hidden Costs”
For wet wipe producers purchasing non woven fabric for wet wipes, a high moisture regain means paying more for water instead of fibre. On the other hand, for manufacturers of wet wipes raw material, a higher moisture regain may lower production costs. They can replace expensive fibre with cheaper water and save energy in the drying process, thus reducing manufacturing expenses. However, for wet wipe producers, using such materials can introduce additional cost and quality control challenges.
4. How to Calculate Moisture Regain for Nonwoven Fabrics Used in Wet Wipes?
The non woven fabric for wet wipes commonly used is typically made from viscose fiber and polyester fiber. According to GB/T 9994-2018(Standard of non woven fabric for wet wipes , the moisture regain for viscose is 13%, while for polyester, it is 0.4%.
-Viscose fiber has strong moisture absorption, leading to a higher moisture regain.
-Polyester fiber is a synthetic fiber with very low moisture absorption, resulting in a much lower moisture regain.
This means that increasing the proportion of viscose fiber in the non woven fabric for wet wipes will significantly raise the overall moisture regain, while adding more polyester fiber will lower it.
5. Formula for Calculating Moisture Regain
The moisture regain can be calculated using the weighted average method for blended materials. The formula is as follows:
Moisture Regain=(Proportion of Viscose×Moisture Regain of Viscose)+(Proportion of Polyester×Moisture Regain of Polyester)
For example, if the non woven fabric for wet wipes is composed of 20% viscose fiber and 80% polyester fiber, the overall moisture regain would be 2.92%.
With specific values:
Proportion of viscose = 20%
Proportion of polyester = 80%
Moisture regain of viscose = 13%
Moisture regain of polyester = 0.4%
Conclusion
Moisture regain may seem like a small factor in the production of non woven fabric for wet wipes, but it plays a crucial role in both cost and quality. If you purchase wet wipes raw material with an unsuitable moisture regain, you may end up paying more and face unpredictable quality issues.
When buying wipes nonwoven , don’t just focus on the fabric—you also need to know how much water you’re buying!