Water-soluble yarn and hot melt yarn: a comprehensive comparison of functions, characteristics and applications

Water-soluble yarn and hot melt yarn: a comprehensive comparison of functions, characteristics and applications

In today’s textile industry, water-soluble yarn and hot melt yarn are two important functional fibers that are widely used in the production of various textiles. Although they both have unique “dissolving” or “melting” properties, there are significant differences between the two in terms of concepts, characteristics, and uses. This article will explore the differences between water-soluble yarn and hot melt yarn in depth to help international wholesale buyers better understand these two materials so that they can make more informed choices in purchasing decisions.

I. Conceptual differences
(I) Water-soluble yarn
Water-soluble yarn is a soluble yarn spun from vinylon staple fibers through ring spinning. Its core characteristic is that it dissolves in water and can gradually dissolve in water at different temperatures. The dissolution process is similar to the dissolution of salt in water. This characteristic makes water-soluble yarn have unique application value in textile processing, especially in scenes that require temporary support or foil.
(II) Hot melt yarn
Hot melt yarn, also known as low-melting point yarn or fusible yarn, is a functional fiber that gradually melts when the temperature reaches its melting point and bonds other yarns together. Hot melt yarn is mainly divided into polyester hot melt yarn and nylon hot melt yarn. By adjusting the raw material properties, its melting point can be controlled between 85℃ and 180℃. This property allows hot melt yarn to replace chemical adhesives such as glue in textile processing and achieve glue-free bonding.

2. Comparison of properties
(I) Properties of water-soluble yarn
Good water solubility: Water-soluble yarn can be completely dissolved in hot water, and the dissolution temperature range is 0-100℃. The specific temperature depends on the specifications and processing technology of the yarn.
Good mechanical properties: Water-soluble yarn has high strength, plasticity, hardness, impact toughness, multiple impact resistance and fatigue limit and other mechanical properties.
Good weather resistance: The weather resistance of water-soluble yarn is second only to acrylic fiber, and its strength only decreases slightly even under long-term exposure.
Hygroscopicity is better than that of vinylon staple fiber: The moisture regain of water-soluble yarn under standard conditions is 5.6%, and the spinning performance is good.
Natural biodegradability: After water-soluble fiber is dissolved in water, it can be naturally biodegraded or rapidly degraded in activated sludge, without pollution to the environment.
(II) Characteristics of hot melt yarn
Low melting point: The melting point of nylon hot melt yarn is as low as 90℃, while the melting point range of polyester hot melt yarn is wider, ranging from 85℃ to 180℃.
Good wear resistance: The wear resistance of polyamide fiber ranks among the best among all textile fibers.
High breaking strength: The breaking strength of polyamide fiber filaments for textile use is 5.0-6.4 g/d.
Good dyeability: Although polyamide fiber is more difficult to dye than natural fibers, it is easier to dye than other synthetic fibers, usually using acid dyes.
Environmentally friendly and non-toxic: Hot melt yarn can replace chemical adhesives during processing to avoid pollution from volatiles and powder layers.

3. Differences in uses
(I) Uses of water-soluble yarn
Water-soluble non-woven fabric raw materials: Water-soluble yarn can be used to produce water-soluble non-woven fabrics as embroidery base fabrics to make machine embroidery lace produce hand embroidery style; it can also be used for disposable clothing in special industries to meet industrial hygiene and environmental protection requirements.
Water-soluble worsted yarn: After the water-soluble yarn is interwoven with other yarns, the water-soluble fibers are removed during the dyeing and finishing process to obtain deep-processed fabrics such as warp and weft hollowing, jacquard hollowing, thin, soft, and bulky.
Accompanying fibers: Water-soluble yarn can be blended with wool, cotton, linen, polyester and other fibers to improve yarn strength, increase weaving efficiency, and expand the design range.
Knitting applications: Water-soluble yarn can be used to produce knitted products such as cow louvers and honeycomb cloth, and can also be combined with cotton yarn to make untwisted yarn for the production of untwisted towels.
Improving the spinning performance of low-strength fibers: Water-soluble yarn can be blended with low-strength fibers such as cashmere to improve its spinning performance.
(II) Uses of hot melt yarn
Replacement of chemical adhesives: Hot melt yarn can be used to replace chemical adhesives such as glue to avoid environmental pollution, while simplifying the process and reducing production costs.
Outdoor sports shoe uppers and casual shoe uppers: Hot melt yarn can be used to make outdoor sports shoe uppers and casual shoe uppers, providing good adhesion and durability.
Sofa fabrics and curtain screens: Hot melt yarn can be used to make sofa fabrics and curtain screens to enhance the stiffness and durability of the fabric.
Carbon fiber fabric shaping: Hot melt yarn can be used to shape the carbon fiber fabric to provide a stable structure.
Chenille yarn and bonded yarn: Hot melt yarn can be used to produce chenille yarn and bonded yarn to enhance the wear resistance and strength of the product.
High-end suit lining and lace: Hot melt yarn can be used to make high-end suit lining and lace, providing a soft feel and good adhesion.

4. Application scenario comparison
(I) Application scenario of water-soluble yarn
Water-soluble yarn is mainly used in textile processing scenarios that require temporary support or lining, such as embroidery, water-soluble non-woven fabric production, high-count pure wool fabric production, etc. Its water-soluble properties make it easy to remove temporary support materials during processing without leaving any traces.
(II) Application scenario of hot melt yarn
Hot melt yarn is widely used in the production of textiles that need to be bonded, such as shoe uppers, sofa fabrics, curtains, gloves, etc. Its low melting point and good adhesion enable hot melt yarn to achieve strong bonding between fibers without the use of chemical adhesives.

5. Selection Recommendations
(I) Choose according to processing requirements
If your production process requires a temporary support material that can be easily removed after processing, water-soluble yarn is an ideal choice. For example, in the embroidery process, water-soluble yarn can be used as an embroidery base cloth, which can be removed by water-soluble treatment after processing without leaving any traces.
If your production process requires a material that can melt and bond other fibers at high temperatures, hot melt yarn is a better choice. Hot melt yarn can replace chemical adhesives and provide an environmentally friendly and efficient bonding solution.
(II) Choose according to product characteristics
If your product needs to have good water solubility and biodegradability, water-soluble yarn is a suitable choice. Water-soluble yarn can be completely dissolved after processing and has no pollution to the environment.
If your product needs to have high strength, wear resistance and good adhesion, hot melt yarn is a more suitable choice. The low melting point and high bonding strength of hot melt yarn make it perform well in a variety of application scenarios.

6. Summary
Although both water-soluble yarn and hot-melt yarn have unique “dissolving” or “melting” characteristics, they have significant differences in concepts, characteristics, uses, etc. Water-soluble yarn is mainly used in textile processing scenarios that require temporary support or backing, while hot-melt yarn is widely used in textile production that requires bonding. Understanding the characteristics of these two materials and their application scenarios can help international wholesale buyers better choose materials that suit their production needs, thereby improving production efficiency, reducing costs and improving product quality.
When choosing water-soluble yarn or hot-melt yarn, it is recommended to conduct a comprehensive evaluation based on specific processing needs and product characteristics. If you need a temporary support material that can be easily removed after processing, water-soluble yarn is an ideal choice; if you need a material that can melt and bond other fibers at high temperatures, hot-melt yarn is a better choice.