In the global wave of pursuing convenience and sustainable development, a seemingly contradictory challenge faces the nonwoven industry: how to create a material that is strong enough during use yet disperses quickly and disappears after being flushed into the sewer system? This is the core mission of flushable spunlace nonwovens. It is not merely a product of technology but a masterpiece of precise coordination among material science, process engineering, and environmental responsibility. This article delves into the science behind this “flushability,” revealing its core formula and scientific logic.
The design of all flushable products is, in essence, a balancing act concerning “time.” It must remain robust and intact during the few minutes of wiping or cleaning. Once the task is complete, it should begin to disintegrate the moment it is flushed and ultimately biodegrade completely in wastewater treatment environments.
Traditional wet wipes often contain synthetic fibers like polyester and polypropylene, which provide excellent durability but lead to severe issues like “microplastic pollution” and sewer blockages. Therefore, the first step towards achieving true flushability is returning to the source—selecting base fibers that can safely “retreat” in nature.
Initially, completely biodegradable natural fibers like wood pulp, cotton, and bamboo were the obvious choices. While pure natural fibers disperse easily, they often lack sufficient wet strength. To solve this dilemma, material scientists introduced regenerated cellulose fibers, such as viscose and Lyocel fibers.
Scientific research has uncovered the optimal blend ratio. A key study confirmed that when wood pulp fibers and viscose fibers are mixed at a balanced mass ratio, the resulting flushable nonwoven material achieves the best overall performance, including physical properties, liquid absorption, and dispersibility. The secret of this “golden ratio” lies in the synergy: viscose fibers provide additional dry and wet strength, compensating for the shortcomings of wood pulp fibers, while the wood pulp fibers, as the main component, ensure the material’s overall rapid hydrophilic properties and disintegration capability.
With suitable raw fibers, how to “weave” them together is the other half of the key determining final performance. Traditional dry-laid spunlace processes use longer, carded fibers that are tightly entangled, making them difficult to reopen in water.
The industry-recognized optimal solution today is the combined wet-laid forming and hydroentanglement (Wetlace) process. Mimicking papermaking, this process suspends short-cut fibers in water to form an extremely uniform fiber web. Subsequently, high-pressure fine water jets needle-punch the web, creating flexible physical entanglements at a microscopic level. This structure provides the necessary strength during use yet can be easily “deconstructed” when exposed to turbulent water flow, allowing the fibers to return to a discrete state. This advanced nonwoven technology is crucial for creating truly dispersible wipes.
To pursue higher performance—such as elasticity, faster disintegration speeds, or specific functionalities—cutting-edge material science research is exploring more complex “formulas.”
One innovative approach involves introducing bio-based biodegradable synthetic fibers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) or poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) fibers, into the wood pulp/viscose “classic formula.” For instance, the latest innovations combine wood pulp short fibers and modified biodegradable fibers to form advanced composite structures. Using specific modification and bonding techniques, these new formulas grant the material excellent performance while ensuring it can disintegrate rapidly in water. These explorations open new paths to resolving the conflict between high strength and high dispersibility.
Another trend is developing products made from 100% single-source natural fibers. For example, using 100% lyocell fibers or other sustainable fibers, through optimized spunlace processes, achieves superior softness and obtains international biodegradability certifications. This provides a solution for high-end brands pursuing ultimate purity and traceability in the eco-friendly wipes market.
The success of flushable spunlace nonwovens goes far beyond simply mixing a few eco-friendly fibers. It is a systematic engineering project involving precise selection and ratio calculation of fiber types, synergistic optimization of web forming and reinforcement processes, and comprehensive consideration of end-use scenarios and degradation environments. With increasingly stringent global environmental regulations (like the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive) and growing consumer awareness, truly standard-compliant, safe, and eco-friendly flushable products are rapidly transitioning from a technological advantage to a “green passport” for brands entering the market.
We are deeply committed here. We have mastered not only the core technologies from the classic wood pulp/viscose blends to frontier bio-based nonwoven materials but also a profound understanding of how to translate scientific “formulas” into stable, reliable products through advanced processes like Wetlace technology. Every roll of flushable nonwoven fabric is our commitment to the sustainable development philosophy of “originating from nature and returning to nature.”
Contact us now to receive customized nonwoven material formulation and process consultation based on your specific application scenarios (flushable wipes, dispersible cloths, personal care substrates, etc.). Let’s harness the wisdom of material science to jointly create the next best-selling sustainable nonwoven product.