Low melting point fiber, or hot melt yarn is one of the most rapidly developing functional fibers in recent years. It has the ability to control its melting point between 85 and 140 degrees by adjusting the properties of its raw materials.
It is a self-viscous, thermoplastic fiber that softens when heated to a certain temperature and then solidifies after cooling. It is commonly mixed with other fibers to produce nonwovens, knitted or woven into thermally-bonded fiber products such as nonwoven fabrics and apparel.
The most common uses for hot melt yarn are in nonwoven fabrics such as paper or fabric laminates and clothing. Its high strength, washability and good hand feel make it an ideal material for this application.
It also provides a very high degree of stiffness to the textile surface and is used as a reinforcement. This stiffening is particularly beneficial in layered or woven fabrics where it can increase the yarn slippage resistance and reduce fraying.
Another important advantage of hot melt yarn is that it can be sized at high speed to form film-forming, quick-setting, and high molecular weight sizes. This is possible because of the waxes that are added to the melt to control set speed and open time, as well as heat resistance and sub-ambient adhesion.
