Why Fibre Ratio Can Change Nonwoven Performance Even When GSM Remains Constant

What GSM actually tells you

GSM stands for grams per square metre. It is a weight per unit area, which makes it useful for estimating yield, cost and rough thickness. If you buy the roll, you need it.

But it is a mass figure and nothing more. It does not describe which fibres make up that mass, how fine they are, or how they were bonded. Even the density of the raw material changes the picture. Polypropylene is lighter than polyester or viscose, so the same GSM holds a larger volume of polypropylene fibre. Two fabrics at identical weight can therefore be quite different structures.

How fibre ratio changes performance

Most spunlace wipes are blends, and the share of each fibre shapes how the fabric behaves.

Strength. Polyester is strong, springy and keeps its strength when wet. Viscose is softer but loses a good part of its strength once it absorbs liquid. Lyocell sits in between and holds up better wet than viscose. Raise the polyester share and the fabric usually gets tougher. Raise the viscose share and it gets weaker, particularly in a wet wipe.

Absorbency. Viscose, cotton and pulp take in liquid and hold on to it. Polyester does not. A blend with more cellulose-based fibre will hold more lotion, while a polyester-heavy blend holds less and tends to release it more freely when you wipe.

Softness and drape. Viscose and lyocell give a soft, fluid hand. The polyester feels firmer and more resilient, but the fineness of the fibre determines the softness: a fine polyester fibre can be softer than a coarse viscose fibre.

Pulp. Addition of pulp improves the absorbency and bulk of the paper at a lower cost than by using more fibrous raw materials. The trade-off is strength, and in some uses linting, so the share has to be chosen with the end use in mind.

Same GSM, different results: an example

Imagine two types of 50 GSM fabric. This is just an example and not actual test results.

Fabric A contains viscose fiber but has more polyester content. It is soft, picks up much lotion and hangs well. When it becomes wet, however, it is the weaker fabric of the two and can be torn when wiped.

Fabric B contains polyester fiber but has less viscose content. It remains strong when wet, rebounds well from folding, and is easy to remove lotion from. It retains less liquid and is not as plush.

Neither is the superior fabric. Fabric A is appropriate for a facial or baby wipe while Fabric B is good for a house-hold or industrial wipe which will be scrubbed. Same weight, different jobs.

Why this matters when you buy

If GSM is the only number on your purchase spec, you are leaving the performance to chance. A better spec asks for:

• the fibre types and the blend ratio
• dry and wet strength, in both machine and cross direction
• absorbency or liquid holding capacity
• the bonding method and surface pattern

The most reliable step is practical. Request samples at the same GSM from different blends and test them on your own line, with your own lotion. A fabric can look right on paper and still fail on a converting line.

We cover how to pick a weight in our GSM guide for wet wipes, and how the three main fibres compare in our viscose, polyester and lyocell breakdown.

Choosing a ratio for your wipe

A few starting points, not rules:

• Soft, lotion-rich wipes: lean towards cellulosic fibre, such as Polyester + Viscose, Viscose + Pulp or Lyocell + Pulp.
• Wipes that need wet strength: raise the synthetic share or consider lyocell.
• Cost-led, absorbent wipes: look at Polyester + Pulp, and check strength carefully.



The right answer depends on your product, your line speed and your market. You can browse the SoftSpun, AbsorvSpun and EnduraSpun ranges, or talk to our team about a sample at your target GSM.