Characterization of Roughness–Friction: Example with Nonwovens

Abstract

In several technical applications, it is necessary to accurately determine the surface state of materials. In order to do so, a new method to evaluate the surface state of materials has been developed. This method gives roughness–friction criteria, based on the principle of a “blade-disc” type tribometer, where the analyzed surface is the disc. In this study we have demonstrated the effectiveness of the method in a study of two types of nonwovens. The first type of nonwoven is intended for use for female or baby hygiene and the second type for baby skincare wipes. The nonwovens compared have surfaces with different structures and different compositions. In addition it is shown that the method is able to distinguish fine modifications of the surface state.