Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric: Properties, Structure and Manufacturing Process

Spunlace nonwoven fabric is a versatile material made by entangling fibers with high-pressure water jets rather than weaving or knitting them together. The process, known as hydroentanglement, creates a web of interconnected fibers with a combination of softness, strength, absorbency and flexibility that makes spunlace suitable for wipes, medical and personal-care products, cleaning materials and many other applications.

For buyers, however, the term spunlace describes a manufacturing technology rather than one single standardized fabric. A 50 GSM viscose spunlace fabric and a 60 GSM polyester-viscose spunlace fabric can behave very differently even though both are classified as spunlace nonwovens.

The practical performance of the finished material depends on several variables:

• Fiber type

• Fiber blend

• Fiber length and fineness

• GSM

• Hydroentanglement intensity

• Web structure

• Finishing treatment

• Wet and dry strength

• Absorbency

• Surface characteristics

• Roll and production consistency

Understanding these variables is essential when selecting spunlace nonwoven fabric for commercial production.

What Is Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric?

Spunlace nonwoven fabric is a sheet or web of fibers that has been mechanically bonded through high-pressure water jets.

Unlike woven fabric, the fibers are not arranged into warp and weft yarns. Unlike knitted fabric, they are not formed into loops. Instead, loose fibers are first formed into a web, and fine water jets are then directed through the web.

The force of the water causes the fibers to move, bend and wrap around one another. Repeated water-jet treatment creates mechanical entanglement throughout the web.

The result is a coherent nonwoven structure without relying primarily on conventional chemical adhesives.

This manufacturing method explains many of the characteristic spunlace nonwoven fabric properties, particularly its soft hand feel and ability to combine flexibility with useful mechanical strength.

Spunlace vs conventional textile structures

The important point is that spunlace is defined mainly by how the fibers are bonded, not simply by the type of fiber used.

How Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric Is Made

Understanding how spunlace nonwoven fabric is made requires looking at the complete production sequence rather than only the hydroentanglement stage.

A simplified process is:

Fiber preparation → Opening and blending → Web formation → Pre-entanglement → Hydroentanglement → Dewatering → Drying → Finishing → Winding

Each stage can influence the final performance of the fabric.

1. Fiber Preparation

The production process begins with selected fibers.

Common materials include:

• Viscose

• Polyester

• Cotton

• Lyocell

• Wood-pulp-derived fibers in certain constructions

• Other regenerated or specialty fibers

Fiber selection is one of the most important decisions because different fibers provide different combinations of softness, absorbency, strength and cost.

For example, viscose is commonly selected when softness and absorbency are important, while polyester can contribute strength and durability.

Blended constructions allow manufacturers to balance these properties.

A buyer should therefore avoid specifying only:

"Spunlace nonwoven fabric"

A better specification identifies the intended fiber composition.

For example:

70% viscose / 30% polyester spunlace, 50 GSM

This provides much more useful information for production and quality control.

2. Opening, Blending and Fiber Preparation

The fibers are opened and separated before web formation.

The purpose is to distribute individual fibers more evenly and remove undesirable fiber clumps.

When different fiber types are used, blending must also be controlled carefully.

Poor blending can result in:

• Uneven composition

• Local variations in absorbency

• Inconsistent appearance

• Uneven strength

• Different surface characteristics across the roll

For high-volume applications such as wipes, consistency from roll to roll is often more important than achieving an isolated laboratory result.

3. Web Formation

After fiber preparation, the fibers are formed into a loose web.

Depending on the production technology, the web may be formed through different methods, including carding and other fiber-web formation systems.

At this stage, the fibers have not yet achieved the final mechanical strength of the finished fabric.

The web's fiber orientation is also important.

A more machine-direction-oriented structure may produce different tensile properties in the machine direction and cross direction.

This is why buyers should not evaluate spunlace fabric only by one tensile-strength number.

A useful technical specification should distinguish:

• MD tensile strength

• CD tensile strength

• MD elongation

• CD elongation

4. Pre-Entanglement

Before the main hydroentanglement stage, the loose web may undergo preliminary water-jet treatment.

The purpose is to stabilize the web and begin mechanically entangling the fibers.

The web must be sufficiently stable to pass through subsequent processing without excessive fiber displacement or deformation.

The exact production configuration varies according to equipment, fiber type and required fabric performance.

5. Hydroentanglement: The Core of Spunlace Production

Hydroentanglement is the defining stage of spunlace production.

Fine water jets are directed onto the fiber web at high pressure.

The water penetrates the web and transfers mechanical energy to the fibers.

The fibers move and become entangled with one another.

Repeated treatment increases the degree of entanglement and creates the final fabric structure.

Simplified mechanism

High-pressure water jets

↓

Fiber movement

↓

Fiber bending and displacement

↓

Mechanical entanglement

↓

Coherent nonwoven fabric

Unlike adhesive bonding, the primary bonding mechanism is physical interlocking between fibers.

This is one reason spunlace can achieve a relatively textile-like surface while remaining a nonwoven material.

What Controls Hydroentanglement Performance?

The hydroentanglement process is not simply a matter of increasing water pressure.

Several parameters interact.

Excessive or poorly controlled treatment can also create problems.

For this reason, manufacturers normally optimize the process according to the target application rather than simply maximizing hydroentanglement intensity.

6. Dewatering

After hydroentanglement, the fabric contains a significant amount of water.

Water must be removed efficiently before drying.

Dewatering systems reduce the moisture content while helping preserve the structure created during hydroentanglement.

Poor control at this stage can affect:

• Fabric uniformity

• Drying efficiency

• Production speed

• Energy consumption

• Final moisture level

7. Drying

The wet fabric is then dried.

Drying conditions influence both production efficiency and final fabric characteristics.

The objective is to remove moisture while maintaining the desired structure and dimensional stability.

For applications involving absorbency or sensitive surface characteristics, excessive drying or inappropriate thermal conditions can influence the final hand feel and performance.

8. Finishing and Treatment

Depending on the application, spunlace fabric may receive additional finishing treatments.

Possible requirements include:

• Hydrophilic treatment

• Hydrophobic treatment

• Softening

• Lotion compatibility

• Antistatic treatment

• Color treatment

• Other application-specific finishes

Not every spunlace product requires the same treatment.

For example, a dry cleaning wipe and an absorbent facial wipe may require very different surface characteristics.

Therefore, the finish should be specified according to the final product rather than simply copying another supplier's specification.

9. Slitting and Roll Winding

After drying and finishing, the fabric is normally inspected and converted into rolls.

The finished roll may be specified by:

• Width

• Roll diameter

• Roll length

• Roll weight

• Core diameter

• Packaging method

For international buyers, roll configuration is commercially important because it affects:

• Container utilization

• Freight cost

• Production efficiency

• Converting-machine compatibility

• Storage requirements

A technically suitable fabric can still create problems if the roll dimensions are incompatible with the buyer's converting equipment.

Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric Structure

The structure of spunlace fabric is different from both woven textiles and thermally bonded nonwovens.

Its performance comes from the interaction between individual fibers.

Several structural factors matter.

Fiber Orientation

Fibers are not necessarily distributed randomly.

Production processes can create different degrees of orientation.

This influences directional strength.

For example:

If a converting process applies strong tension in one direction, directional mechanical data becomes particularly important.

Fiber Fineness

Fiber fineness can influence:

• Surface softness

• Hand feel

• Specific surface area

• Absorbency behavior

• Web structure

• Entanglement characteristics

Fine fibers can create a different surface feel from coarse fibers even when GSM is identical.

This is one reason GSM alone cannot predict the feel or performance of spunlace fabric.

Fiber Composition

The same GSM can produce significantly different performance depending on fiber composition.

Consider:

These are general tendencies rather than universal rules. Actual performance depends on fiber specifications and production parameters.

Key Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric Properties

The most important spunlace nonwoven fabric properties depend on the application.

For wipes, absorbency and wet strength may dominate.

For cosmetic applications, softness and surface appearance may be more important.

For industrial wipes, tensile strength, linting and durability may become more important.

1. Softness

Softness is one of the strongest reasons manufacturers choose spunlace.

The absence of conventional woven yarn structures and the hydroentangled fiber network can produce a fabric with a textile-like hand feel.

Softness can be affected by:

• Fiber type

• Fiber fineness

• Fiber blend

• GSM

• Hydroentanglement conditions

• Finishing treatment

• Drying conditions

Softness should ideally be evaluated using both objective testing where available and actual product trials.

2. Absorbency

Absorbency is particularly important for wipes.

The fiber type, fiber surface characteristics, pore structure and finishing treatment all influence how liquid interacts with the fabric.

Viscose-based structures are often selected for applications requiring good liquid uptake.

However, "high absorbency" should not be treated as a universal specification.

Buyers should clarify:

• Absorption capacity

• Absorption rate

• Liquid retention

• Wet strength

• Target liquid

• Test method

A wipe that absorbs liquid quickly but loses strength when saturated may not perform well in production.

3. Wet Strength

Wet strength describes the fabric's ability to retain mechanical integrity when saturated or exposed to liquid.

This is critical for many wipes.

A fabric can have good dry tensile strength but significantly different behavior when wet.

For example, a wipe used for heavy cleaning may require greater wet durability than a cosmetic wipe designed primarily for softness.

Therefore, buyers should request wet-strength data when the final product will be used in wet conditions.

4. Dry Strength

Dry tensile strength indicates the mechanical resistance of the fabric before liquid exposure.

It matters during:

• Converting

• Cutting

• Folding

• Packaging

• Product use

• Transportation

Dry strength should normally be considered together with elongation and tear resistance rather than evaluated alone.

5. Elongation

Elongation describes how much the fabric stretches before breaking under a tensile test.

A higher elongation does not automatically mean better quality.

The appropriate value depends on the application.

For converting operations, excessive stretch may create dimensional-control problems.

For certain wiping or flexible products, controlled elongation may be beneficial.

6. Tear Resistance

Tear resistance indicates how the material behaves when a tear begins and propagates.

It can be important for wipes and other products that may experience localized mechanical damage.

Tear performance is influenced by:

• Fiber strength

• Fiber orientation

• Fiber entanglement

• GSM

• Fabric structure

7. Linting

Linting is an important consideration for applications where loose fibers are undesirable.

Examples include:

• Medical cleaning

• Laboratory environments

• Electronics-related cleaning

• Optical cleaning

• High-quality industrial wipes

A fabric can look clean during visual inspection but still release fibers during use.

For demanding applications, buyers should evaluate linting using an appropriate test method or actual-use simulation.

8. Air Permeability

Air permeability measures the ability of air to pass through the fabric under defined test conditions.

It can provide information about the fabric's pore structure and openness.

However, air permeability should not be treated as a universal quality indicator.

A high value is not automatically better.

The target depends on the intended application.

9. Thickness

Thickness affects:

• Hand feel

• Bulk

• Absorbency behavior

• Cushioning

• Roll volume

• Converting performance

Two fabrics with the same GSM can have different thicknesses because of differences in fiber structure and compression.

GSM: Why Weight Matters

GSM means grams per square meter.

It is one of the most commonly used specifications for spunlace nonwoven fabric.

The basic relationship is:

GSM = Fabric weight ÷ Fabric area

For example, if one square meter of fabric weighs 50 grams:

GSM = 50 g/m²

Common spunlace weights vary according to application.

*These are illustrative ranges, not universal specifications. Actual requirements depend on product design, fiber composition and converting process.

A buyer should therefore avoid asking only:

"What GSM do you recommend?"

A better question is:

"What GSM, fiber composition and wet/dry strength should we use for our finished product?"

GSM Does Not Equal Quality

A common purchasing mistake is assuming that heavier fabric is automatically better.

It is not.

A 70 GSM fabric is not necessarily better than a 50 GSM fabric.

The additional weight may provide greater bulk or strength, but it can also increase:

• Material cost

• Roll volume

• Shipping cost

• Finished-product weight

For high-volume wipe production, optimizing GSM can significantly influence total manufacturing economics.

The correct objective is therefore:

Minimum material weight that reliably meets the finished-product requirements.

Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric vs Spunbond

Spunlace and spunbond are both nonwoven technologies, but their structures and typical applications differ.

The choice should be driven by the finished product rather than the assumption that one technology is universally superior.

Spunlace vs Meltblown

Meltblown is manufactured from polymer melt and forms very fine continuous microfibers.

Spunlace uses staple fibers and hydroentanglement.

For wipe manufacturing, spunlace is generally much more directly relevant because its structure can combine softness, absorbency and mechanical integrity.

How to Select Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric for Different Applications

Instead of starting with GSM, start with the finished product.

For Wet Wipes

Prioritize:

1. Absorbency

2. Wet strength

3. Softness

4. Fiber composition

5. Linting

6. GSM

7. Lotion compatibility

A common mistake is selecting fabric solely according to price per kilogram.

The real comparison should be based on the cost and performance of the finished wipe.

For Facial and Cosmetic Wipes

Prioritize:

• Softness

• Surface uniformity

• Absorbency

• Skin-contact requirements

• Low linting

• Appearance

• Appropriate GSM

The consumer's tactile experience can be especially important.

For Household Cleaning Wipes

Prioritize:

• Wet strength

• Tear resistance

• Absorbency

• Liquid retention

• Cleaning durability

• Cost per finished wipe

The cheapest fabric per kilogram may not be the cheapest material per usable wipe.

For Industrial Wipes

Prioritize:

• Tensile strength

• Tear resistance

• Wet strength

• Linting

• Solvent or chemical compatibility where applicable

• Absorbency

• Converting performance

For industrial applications, buyers should provide details about the liquids or contaminants that the finished wipe will contact.

A Practical Spunlace Specification Sheet

When requesting a quotation, a buyer should provide as much of the following information as possible:

The more clearly the application is described, the easier it becomes for the manufacturer to recommend an appropriate construction.

What Makes a Good Spunlace Manufacturer?

For buyers sourcing internationally, production capability should not be evaluated only by the factory's equipment list.

A reliable supplier should be able to demonstrate control over:

Raw materials

Can the supplier explain:

• Fiber origin?

• Fiber type?

• Fiber composition?

• Fiber fineness?

• Virgin or recycled content where applicable?

Production

Can the manufacturer explain:

• Web-forming process?

• Hydroentanglement technology?

• Production width?

• GSM range?

• Finishing options?

Quality control

Can the supplier provide:

• GSM testing?

• Width measurement?

• Tensile testing?

• Wet-strength testing?

• Absorbency testing?

• Roll inspection?

• Batch traceability?

Commercial consistency

A supplier should also be able to maintain consistent:

• GSM

• Width

• Color

• Fiber composition

• Mechanical properties

• Roll configuration

This becomes particularly important when the buyer moves from a trial order to regular container shipments.

Common Mistakes When Buying Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric

Mistake 1: Choosing by GSM alone

GSM does not describe fiber composition, absorbency, strength or softness.

Mistake 2: Comparing different fiber compositions as if they were identical

A 50 GSM viscose fabric and a 50 GSM polyester fabric are not equivalent materials.

Mistake 3: Testing only dry strength

For wipes, wet performance can be much more important.

Mistake 4: Ignoring linting

A visually clean fabric can still release unacceptable levels of loose fibers in some applications.

Mistake 5: Buying only on price per kilogram

The more useful metric may be:

Cost per finished wipe

rather than simply:

Price per kg of raw material

Mistake 6: Approving a sample without defining tolerances

A sample establishes a reference, but production requires measurable acceptance criteria.

Mistake 7: Failing to test multiple production rolls

One good sample does not automatically prove production consistency.

How Buyers Should Test Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric

A practical evaluation can be divided into four stages.

Stage 1: Visual inspection

Check:

• Color

• Surface uniformity

• Holes

• Streaks

• Foreign matter

• Contamination

• Roll edges

Stage 2: Physical measurements

Check:

• GSM

• Width

• Thickness

• Roll length

• Roll weight

Stage 3: Mechanical testing

Depending on application:

• MD tensile

• CD tensile

• MD elongation

• CD elongation

• Tear strength

• Wet strength

Stage 4: Finished-product testing

This is often the most valuable stage.

Convert the material into the actual product and test:

• Absorbency

• Cleaning performance

• Lotion uptake

• Wet durability

• Linting

• Folding

• Cutting

• Packaging

• Consumer handling

A fabric can pass laboratory specifications and still perform poorly during actual converting.

Why the Manufacturing Process Matters to Buyers

The manufacturing process is not just technical background information.

It directly influences procurement risk.

For example:

Fiber selection

↓

determines basic material characteristics

Web formation

↓

affects fiber distribution and orientation

Hydroentanglement

↓

creates the mechanical structure

Drying and finishing

↓

influence surface and functional characteristics

Slitting and winding

↓

determine the final roll configuration

Therefore, two suppliers can quote what appears to be the same "50 GSM spunlace fabric" while delivering materials with noticeably different performance.

The buyer should compare the complete specification, not just the product name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is spunlace nonwoven fabric biodegradable?

Not necessarily.

"Spunlace" describes the manufacturing/bonding technology, not the biodegradability of the finished material.

Biodegradability depends on the fiber composition and other components.

A viscose-based spunlace and a polyester-based spunlace should not automatically be treated as equivalent from a biodegradability perspective.

Is spunlace fabric made from plastic?

It depends on the fiber composition.

Polyester is a synthetic polymer fiber, while viscose is a regenerated cellulose fiber.

Therefore, buyers should always check the actual material composition instead of assuming that all spunlace is either plastic-based or natural.

Is spunlace fabric absorbent?

It can be highly absorbent, depending on fiber type, structure and finishing.

Viscose and other hydrophilic fibers are commonly used when liquid absorption is important.

However, absorbency should be specified and tested rather than assumed simply because a product is called spunlace.

Is spunlace stronger than spunbond?

There is no universal answer.

Strength depends on:

• GSM

• Fiber type

• Fiber orientation

• Bonding conditions

• Fabric structure

• Test direction

• Test method

Spunbond often provides excellent strength efficiency for applications using continuous filaments, while spunlace can provide a useful balance of softness, absorbency and strength for wipes and similar products.

What GSM is commonly used for spunlace wipes?

Many wipe applications use relatively lightweight spunlace materials, often roughly in the 30–70 GSM range, but the appropriate GSM depends on the product.

Baby wipes, facial wipes, household wipes and industrial wipes can require different structures.

The correct specification should be determined by finished-product performance rather than GSM alone.

Can spunlace fabric be customized?

Yes.

Depending on the manufacturer, buyers may be able to customize:

• Fiber composition

• GSM

• Width

• Color

• Softness

• Hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties

• Wet strength

• Roll configuration

• Packaging

The practical customization range depends on production equipment and the supplier's manufacturing capabilities.

What should I tell a supplier when requesting a spunlace quotation?

At minimum, provide:

1. Application

2. Fiber composition

3. GSM

4. Width

5. Color

6. Quantity

7. Required performance

8. Roll requirements

9. Destination

10. Target delivery schedule

For wipes, also provide information about the type of wipe, liquid formulation and required wet performance.

This allows the manufacturer to quote a technically meaningful product rather than a generic spunlace material.

Final Takeaway

Spunlace nonwoven fabric is not simply "soft nonwoven fabric." It is a manufacturing platform in which a fiber web is mechanically bonded through hydroentanglement.

Its final performance is determined by the interaction of:

Fiber → Web → Hydroentanglement → Finishing → Converting

This is why two spunlace fabrics with the same GSM can behave very differently.

For buyers, the most reliable selection process is:

Application → Fiber composition → Required performance → GSM → Width and roll configuration → Testing → Sample approval → Production control

If the material will be used for wipes, absorbency, wet strength, softness and linting may deserve more attention than price per kilogram. If it is intended for industrial applications, tensile strength, tear resistance, chemical compatibility and linting may become more important.

The best spunlace specification is therefore not the heaviest fabric or the cheapest quotation. It is the construction that delivers the required finished-product performance at the lowest practical total cost.