Nonwoven fabrics for household wipe applications were produced using the hydroentanglement bonding technique. Blends of three types of polyester/viscose fibers and flax/viscose fibers were utilized in this study. The wipes were compared in terms of their physical and mechanical properties, serviceability and durability under simulated use conditions. Physical properties, such as mass per unit area and thickness were measured and the fabric density was calculated. Tensile strength and elongation properties, both in the dry and the wet states, were studied and the liquid absorption characteristics of wipes were tested. Subsequently, the end use conditions for wipes, both in dry and wet cleaning were simulated and the changes in mechanical and absorption properties were tested to ascertain their serviceability. It is concluded that flax fibers can be successfully utilized for developing household wipes due to their good absorption characteristics and higher tensile strength and satisfactory durability.

Hydroentanglement is a versatile and relatively little explored method of bonding the fibrous web using high-pressure water jets. These nonwoven structures have an extensive range of applications -for example, wipes, carpet backing, filters, sanitary, medical dressings, and composites. Such applications require certain functional characteristics in hydroentangled structures, besides basic properties, which are required to be engineered by judicious optimization of the hydroentanglement process. In this study, a number of hydroentangled structures have been produced based on Taguchi's experimental design technique by varying the process parameters: namely, feed rate and water jet pressures. The simultaneous effect of more than one parameter has been investigated on the dimensional and mechanical properties of hydroentangled fabrics. These process parameters are then empirically related with the fabric properties using the multiple regression technique. The influence of jet pressure was found to be significant on the fiber orientation characteristics of the hydroentangled fabrics.

Liquid movement in 3-D fibrous materials is studied in this article by means of Monte Carlo simulation based on the Ising model with so-called Kawasaki kinetics. Computer simulation algorithms are then developed in accordance with the standard liquid wicking rate tests from both EDANA and INDA, and the simulation results provide information of liquid wicked into computer-generated fiber assemblies as a function of time. The work focuses mainly on the relationship between fiber orientation and the liquid wicking rate, while other geometrical parameters of the fiber mass remain fixed. Furthermore, this simulation also presents dynamic data of both liquid mass uptake and energy changes of the system. The results are in agreement with known experimental evidence.

In this work, Zn-1.5Mg-0.5Ca alloy was studied. The alloy composition was chosen according to the results of our previous work that was focused on the research of biodegradable materials. The mechanical properties of such cast alloy are similar to the characteristics of human bones. Moreover, Zn-1.5Mg alloy itself satisfies biocompatibility requirements. The main goal of this work was to improve the mechanical properties of this alloy. A small addition of calcium affected both the alloy microstructure and mechanical properties. Light microscope and scanning electron microscope were used for the analysis of microstructure. After calcium addition, secondary phases were visible in observed micrographs; their composition was verified by XRD. Mechanical properties (Vickers hardness, compressive and tensile tests) were studied and compared with the Zn-1.5Mg alloy prepared in our previous work. Based on presented results, Zn-1.5Mg-0.5Ca alloy is intended for use in medicine as a suitable material for temporary implants.

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