Overview
ISO 11224:2003 - Textiles - Web formation and bonding in nonwovens - Vocabulary is an international vocabulary standard that defines terms used in the processing of nonwovens and the names applied to the resulting products. Published by ISO (Technical Committee ISO/TC 38, Textiles) as a second edition in 2003, it replaces the 1993 edition. The document is bilingual (English/French) and is intended to harmonize terminology across manufacturing, testing, procurement and research in the nonwovens sector.
Key topics
This vocabulary standard systematically defines terms for:
- Web formation processes - includes clear definitions for methods such as:
- airlaying / airlaid
- carding / carded
- cross laying / cross-laid
- drylaying / drylaid
- electrostatic laying / electrostatically laid
- flashspinning / flashspun
- meltblowing / meltblown
- parallel laying / parallel laid
- random laying / random laid
- spinlaying / spunlaid
- wetlaying / wetlaid
- Terms for resulting products - standardized names for webs and nonwovens produced by each forming method (e.g., “airlaid web”, “meltblown nonwoven”).
- Web bonding processes - general definitions for bonding approaches used to convert a fibrous web into a nonwoven, including chemical (adhesive/solvent) and physical (entanglement, thermal) bonding, and distinctions such as area bonding vs. point/print bonding.
- Notes on usage - clarifications such as the varied use of the term “web” (single or multilayer) and equivalents in French.
Practical applications
ISO 11224 provides a common language for:
- Manufacturers and process engineers defining product specifications and production routes for nonwovens
- Quality, test and inspection teams ensuring consistent interpretation of sample descriptions and reports
- Procurement and R&D teams writing tenders, technical datasheets and research papers
- Educators and trainers teaching nonwovens technology (the standard permits reproduction of terms/definitions for strictly educational or implementation purposes under stated conditions)
Using standardized terminology reduces ambiguity in product claims, technical contracts and international collaboration across the nonwovens value chain.
Related standards
- Prepared by ISO/TC 38 (Textiles). This vocabulary complements other ISO standards on textile testing and nonwoven performance; consult ISO publications and committee outputs for related test methods, specifications and safety standards.
Keywords: ISO 11224, nonwovens vocabulary, web formation, web bonding, textiles, airlaid, meltblown, spunlaid, wetlaid.
