Time-resolved X-ray radiography of through-thickness liquid transport in partly saturated needle-punched nonwovens

Abstract Nonwoven fibre networks underpin filtration, insulation and geotextiles, where liquid uptake, redistribution and release govern performance. In needle-punched felts, barbed needles mechanically entangle fibres and partially reorient them towards the thickness direction ( z ), creating out-of-plane “pillars” and heterogeneity. While mechanical and structural consequences of needling are well documented, dynamic z -direction transport in partly saturated networks remains difficult to access due to opacity and sub-second timescales. Here we combine micro-CT ( $$\upmu $$ μ CT) of dry structure with time-resolved X-ray radiography during droplet addition to quantify through-thickness transport as a function of saturation and needling intensity, using a compact Washburn-type descriptor for dynamics. Results show an exponential dependence of z -directional liquid transport on saturation, consistent with previous models for in-plane relative permeability of nonwoven networks. Additionally, increased needle-punch intensity reorients fibres towards the z -direction, forming preferential flow pathways that enhance through-thickness transport, even as single-phase permeability decreases. These findings underscore needle-punch as a key design parameter for tuning liquid transport in nonwoven fibre networks. The approach provides an experimental and modelling framework for dynamic, capillarity-driven transport in opaque fibrous materials.