Module II

RAW MATERIAL OF GEOTEXTILE

• Polymers used in manufacturing geotextile
fibers are made from the following materials,
listed in the order of decreasing use:
a) Polypropylene (approx 92%)
b) Polyester (approx 5%)
c) Polyethylene (approx 2%)
d) Polyamide (nylon) (approx 1%)
RAW MATERIAL OF GEOTEXTILE
• Moisture plays a relatively minor role in strength.
• oldest of these is polyethylene, which was
discovered in 1931 in research laboratories of
ICI.
• Another group of polymers with a long
production history is polyamide family, first of
which was discovered in 1935.
• next oldest of four main polymer families
relevant to geotextile manufacture is polyester
which was first announced in 1941.
RAW MATERIAL OF GEOTEXTILE
• most recent polymer family relevant to
geotextiles to be developed was polypropylene,
which was discovered in 1954.
The comparative properties of these four polymer are shown in very general items in Table,
Here , H: High; M: Medium; L: Low
GEOTEXTILE – Type of Fiber
• There are five principal types of fibers used in
the construction of geotextiles
1. Monofilament
2. Multifilament
3. Staple fiber yarn
4. Slit-film monofilament
5. Slit-film multifilament
Type of polymeric fibers used in manufacture of Geotextiles
GEOTEXTILE – Type of Fiber
• Properly prepared polymers are made into
fibers by melting them and forcing through a
spinneret (almost like a bathroom showerhead).
• Resulting fibers are hardened or solidified.
• Hardening is by cooling, and simultaneously
fibers are stretched.
• Stretching reduces fiber diameter and causes
molecules in fibers to arrange themselves in an
orderly fashion.
GEOTEXTILE – Type of Fiber
• When this happens, the fiber’s strength
increases, it’s elongation at failure decreases
and it’s modulus increases.
• Monofilaments can be twisted together to form
a multifilament yarn.
• Diameter of the fiber is characterized by it’s
denier – the weight in grams of 9000m fiber or
yarn
GEOTEXTILE – Type of Fiber
• Staple fibers are produced by continuous
filaments of specific denier gathered in a large
rope-like bundle, called a tow.
• A two can contain thousands of continuous
filaments and it can be converted directly into
yarn.
• More often these filament bundles are then
crimped and cut into short lengths of 25 to 100
mm
GEOTEXTILE – Type of Fiber
• Short fibers aka staples are then opened and
twisted or spun together into long yarns for
fabric manufacture.
• Slit film or tapes are made from a continuous
sheet of polymer that is cut into fibers by knives
or air jets
• Resulting ribbon-like fibers are referred to as
slit film monofilament fibers
• These fibers can be twisted together to make a
slit film multi-filament
GEOTEXTILE – Fabric Style
• Once yarns are made, they must be
manufactured into fabrics.
• Basic options are woven, non-woven
• Woven fabrics are made on a conventional
textile weaving machinery into a wide variety of
fabric weaves.
GEOTEXTILE – Fabric Style
• For conventional industrial fabrics, weaves are
kept relatively simple.
• Particular pattern of weave is determined by the
sequence in which warp yarns are threaded into
the weaving loom and position of the warp
GEOTEXTILE – Non – Woven
• Manufacture of non-woven fabrics is very
different from that of woven fabrics.
• Each non-woven manufacturing system includes
four basic steps
1. Fiber preparation
2. Web formation
3. Web bonding
4. Post-treatment
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• Spun bonding is a continuous process used to
produce a finished fabric from a polymer.
• The polymer is fed into an extruder, which is then
forced through a spinnaret or a series of
spinnarets.
• Fibers are stretched, usually by air and after
cooling are laid on a moving conveyer belt to
form a continuous web.
• The mat of fabric is then bonded by thermal,
chemical or mechanical treatment before being
wound upto finished roll form.
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• Alternatively, web can be formed by starting the
process with short, crimpled fibers of 25 to 100
mm in length.
• Fibers are directly made or purchased in the
form of bales, which are opened by forced air,
referred to as carding process.
• The fibers are moved by conveyer to form a web
of desired width, orientation and mass per unit
area.
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• Once a loose web is formed, one of the three
processes are used to bond the filaments of the
web together
1. Needle punching
2. Resin bonding
3. Melt bonding
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• In needle punching, fibrous web is introduced
into a machine equipped with hundreds of
specially designed needles.
• Needles are about 75 mm long and each have
three or four downward oriented barbs
• While the web is held between plates, barbed
needles punch through it an re-orient the fibers
so that a mechanical bonding is achieved
throughout the length and width of fabric
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• Needle punching can be used to produce fabrics
that have high mass per unit area.
• In resin bonding, a fibrous web is sprayed with
an acrylic resin
• After curing, bonds are formed between
filaments
• In melt-bonding, the web is composed of
continuous filaments melted together.
• Resultant fabrics are stiffer in texture and feel
GEOTEXTILE – Non - Woven
• Higher fabric strength can be achieved with this
type of manufacture