Modeling of the pore network by image processing: Application to the nonwoven material

The knowledge of structural parameters of nonwovens media is poorly understood. The Pores Size Distribution (PSD) function is one of those parameters. The difficulty is not only the understanding of the distribution of pores but also the identification of the pores geometry distribution (PGD) and of their dynamic properties. In this paper, we present an efficient and reliable method based on image analysis which on the one hand, performs the estimation of the PSD function and takes into account the geometric aspect of pores, and on the other hand, analyses fluid transport in nonwoven made from polyester. We set up a test bed in order to observe the dynamic properties of our samples. We extract frames directly from this test bed. In this paper, we present results obtained from two samples. Results show PSD containing a large variety of pores. We also determine the PGD which informs us about the shape of pores. The resulting PSD are used as a reference to determine the PSD of filled pores versus time. Results show that the fluid transport in the pore network is defined by three essential parameters: geometric parameter (size, shape), the capillary pressure and the connection in the pores network.