A fiber network model to understand the effects of fiber length and height on the deformation of fibrous materials

Fiber networks, in which the natural or artificial fibers are randomly or directionally aligned and bonded together through a chemical, mechanical and/or thermal processes, form the structural foundations for fibrous materials such as nonwoven fabrics, paper and paperboards. Fiber network deformation plays critical role in determining the mechanical properties of such materials. Therefore, there have been extensive efforts to generate fiber network models in two and three dimensional space. As a contribution to the modelling efforts, a fiber network model is introduced in the present study. The main goal is to understand the microstructural parameters including fiber length and cross-section affecting the fiber network deformation and compute the mechanical properties of the aggregate. The present numerical advancement is believed to guide researchers and designers to analyze fiber network characteristics more efficiently and in shorter time spans.