Woven Felts
Because of consistency of thickness and superior "bendability," woven wool felts should always be a consideration. Numerous types and grades are available for specific applications. Beyond these are hundreds of variations that can be engineered for your needs.
Woven wool felts are generally the better product choice when "flexibility with density" is the key phrase. For example, a piece of woven felt similar in density to a piece of pressed SAE F-1 of similar size, bent at a severe angle--90° or more--will reveal how much easier the woven product can be bent and how much more readily it snaps back without distortion. When you consider that WF-1 weighs nearly 25% more than pressed felt, you can understand one of the superior properties of woven wool felt.
Close tolerance capability is another prime consideration in the choice of a woven felt. Woven felt tolerances are one half the tolerances of pressed felt, and for precision requirements can be held even closer than the published tolerances.
Wool felt is frequently used as a wicking
agent for a wide variety of
liquids, and this is another instance where woven products will make a
better choice. Visual magnification of the fibers
comprising pressed and/or needled felt compared with woven felt clearly
reveals the intricate weave within the woven product. The weave
greatly increases the tensile strength and reduces the chance of
splitting. Consequently, in almost every application for
wicking, woven wool felt will outperform pressed counterparts.
Since there are so many variables in wicking, only testing can provide
a final answer.
Finally, resiliency is another key factor for woven felt. All
wool felts are resiliant because of the very nature of wool
itself. But in most cases, woven felts will retain this
resiliency much longer than pressed felts.
