Influence of needling proces parameters on nonwovens used as irrigation substrates

Abstract

Nonwovens used as watering substrate distibute water uniformlyand act as slight water buffer owing to the absorbent capacity. So, the irrigation solution is brought directly to the root zone. At the same time, using of nonwovens with higher water holding capacity affects the frequency of irrigation which depends by existing environmental conditions. In this study, we present the influence of the needling process parameters on the functional characteristics of nonwovens used as irrigation substrate. The aim is to determine optimal processing parameters using a central, composite design for second-order model. Our results show that the needling process parameters have a significant influence on functional characteristics. The higher of needle depth penetration and needle board frequency, higher is the compactness of nonwoven (higher fabric density) due to the strong fiber peg formation as more number of fibers are arranged vertically. Also, a less porous nonwoven strauture has a lower water holding capacity.