macro texture of airlaid paper napkin material premium table setting using airlaid napkin SILQUE airlaid napkin product formats
What Is Airlaid

Not tissue.
Not cloth.
Airlaid.

A material that feels like premium linen, holds a sharp fold, absorbs like a sponge — and costs a fraction of laundered cloth.

Manufacturing Process

Made with air, not water.

Standard tissue paper is made by pulping wood in huge vats of water, pressing it flat, and drying it — which is why it tears and turns soggy the moment it gets wet. Airlaid does the opposite: it uses pressurised air currents to suspend and arrange wood cellulose fibres into a three-dimensional, fluffy web — the same way cotton candy is spun, not pressed. The result is a material with vastly more body, strength, and absorbency.

From a chemical perspective, wet-laid papermaking causes cellulose fibers to lay flat in two dimensions. When re-wetted, the hydrogen bonds between fibers break instantly. Dry-laid (Airlaid) forming suspends fibers in air, stacking them three-dimensionally before bonding them thermally. This preserves the fiber's natural loft, creates capillary spaces that absorb 12x their weight, and retains high wet tear strength.

①

Air Dispersion

Virgin wood pulp fibres are broken apart and suspended individually using high-speed air jets — no water involved at any stage.

②

Forming the Web

The airborne fibres land on a moving mesh belt and stack up in a thick, three-dimensional layer — creating a naturally fluffy, cloth-like structure.

③

Thermal Bonding

Heat and an eco-friendly binder lock the fibre web into a strong, stable sheet that holds its shape even when completely wet.

Standard tissue paper: fibres laid flat in water → pressed → dried → thin, weak, tears when wet.

SILQUE Airlaid: fibres suspended in air → stacked in 3D → bonded with heat → thick, soft, stays intact when wet.

Properties & Characteristics

What makes it perform differently.

Because the fibres are arranged in a 3D structure rather than pressed flat, Airlaid has enormous internal void space — which is what makes it feel thick, fold crisply, and absorb far more liquid than standard paper.

12×
Liquid absorption by weight
High
Wet tear strength retained
Sharp
Crease & fold retention
Soft
Cloth-like hand feel
Absorbency comparison — liquid held per sheet
Standard Tissue
~4× weight
Woven Linen
~7× weight
SILQUE Airlaid
12× weight
Property Standard Tissue SILQUE Airlaid Woven Linen
Feel in hand Thin & papery Thick, soft, cloth-like Heavy, warm
When it gets wet ✕ Tears apart ✓ Stays intact ✓ Stays intact
Holds table fold ✕ Collapses ✓ Sharp crease ✓ Needs ironing
Hygiene Single-use Single-use Shared, washed
Operational cost Low Low High (laundry)
Application

Who uses it and why.

Airlaid is the silent upgrade that hospitality professionals reach for when they want the look and feel of cloth without the operational burden of laundering. It works across every service format.

Fine Dining & Restaurants

  • Matches cloth napkin presentation
  • Holds complex folds (bishop, fan, pocket)
  • Custom brand print available
  • No laundry tracking or losses

Hotels & Room Service

  • Faster tray setup times
  • Zero linen count audits
  • Consistent look at every occupancy
  • Cuts laundry cost significantly

Banquets & Catering

  • Pre-folded pocket saves hours of prep
  • Single-use = full hygiene compliance
  • Scales from 50 to 5,000 covers
  • No linen return / shrinkage losses

Cocktail Bars & Events

  • Absorbs condensation without dissolving
  • Does not stick to cold glass bases
  • Logo print for brand recall
  • Premium feel for welcome drinks
Environmental Benefits

Sustainability that makes operational sense.

Switching to Airlaid is not just good for the environment — it directly reduces operational waste and cost. There is no trade-off between being responsible and being efficient.

95%
Less water used in manufacturing compared to conventional wet-laid tissue papermaking mills, which require thousands of litres of water per ton of paper produced. Airlaid uses pressurised air — water consumption is near-zero at the forming stage.

One napkin per guest

Because Airlaid is highly absorbent, one napkin handles an entire meal. Standard thin tissue requires guests to use 3–5 sheets, multiplying your waste output and restocking cost.

100% plant cellulose

SILQUE Airlaid is made from virgin wood pulp — a natural, plant-based material. The fibres biodegrade completely and return to the earth, generating zero microplastic waste.

Eliminates linen laundry load

A 100-cover restaurant using cloth napkins washes ~400 napkins per day, consuming water, electricity, chemicals, and fuel. Switching to SILQUE Airlaid eliminates this entirely.

Ready to upgrade your table presentation?

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