Permeability of sheets of nonwoven fibrous media

Abstract We introduce a computer lattice model for describing the factors controlling the diffusivity of fibrous sheets. In our approach, particles diffuse through the sheet by hopping between nearest-neighbor lattice sites. For a given sheet density, we find that ribbon-shaped fibers lead to larger voids and lower diffusivities. Our model results also indicate that interstitial voids between successive fiber swaths in a sheet do not improve permeability to flow.