What are the market size and trends for nonwovens?
Introduction
Nonwoven fabric is a fiber product that can be easily manufactured and produced without the need for weaving or knitting processes. Although nonwoven fabric shares similarities with woven fabric in terms of usage, it is a fiber product that does not require weaving process for production. There are various options for raw materials, primarily depending on the intended industries such as home furnishings, medical and hygiene, etc., and the choice of raw materials is made based on specific requirements. The raw materials can include chemical fibers, synthetic fibers, and natural fibers, each with their own unique characteristics and advantages.
Definition and classification of nonwoven fabrics
Nonwovens can be divided into several categories, which are classified as follows:
Hot bonded nonwovens
Needle-punched nonwovens
hydroentangled nonwovens
sol-gel nonwoven
hot rolled nonwoven
wet nonwoven
What is the difference between them?
| Type of Nonwoven Fabric | Manufacturing Process | Characteristics and Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal Bonded Nonwoven Fabric | Fiber interlocked under high temperature and pressure to form a strong and stretchable fabric | Used for making filter materials, medical materials, carpet underlay, etc. |
| Needle Punched Nonwoven Fabric | Fibers interlaced and tightly punched by special needle machines to form a 3D texture | Used for automotive interior, carpets, wall panel insulation materials, etc. |
| Spunlace Nonwoven Fabric | Fibers sprayed with high-pressure water streams to form a soft and breathable fabric | Used for making clothing linings, sanitary napkins, facial wipes, etc. |
| Meltblown Nonwoven Fabric | Fibers melted at high temperature and formed into thin films then cooled down to create a lightweight, soft, and breathable fabric | Used for making medical materials such as masks, disinfectant wipes, etc. |
| Hot Rolled Nonwoven Fabric | Fibers melted and compressed under high temperature, pressure, and speed to form a strong, tough, and durable fabric | Used for making tire frames, car sunshades, furniture fabrics, etc. |
| Wet Laid Nonwoven Fabric | Fibers suspended in water and uniformly spread on a mesh belt, then processed under pressure and high temperature to form a soft, breathable, and water-absorbent fabric | Used for making cleaning cloths, shoe shine cloths, carpet backing, etc. |
Development history and current situation
Since the 1950s, nonwovens have been born, and after more than 70 years of development, remarkable results have been achieved. With the deepening of scientific research and the growing demand of society, the nonwovens market has grown and the industrial pattern has matured gradually.
Market Scale Analysis
Global nonwoven market scale and growth trend
According to the market survey, the size of nonwoven market has maintained a steady growth during 2010-2020. From a size of USD 36 billion in 2010, it grew to over USD 87 billion in 2020. The nonwovens market size is expected to exceed USD 1,300 billion by 2025. Overall, the nonwovens market shows a rapid growth trend.
Major Market Share and Regional Distribution
The major markets for nonwovens are mainly concentrated in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Among them, the Asian market occupies about 50% of the global market share, in which countries are particularly prominent. The European market and the North American market alone account for 40% of the global market, which shows that the size of the market is very large.
Future market outlook forecast
The future outlook for the nonwovens market is promising. In terms of technological development, expansion of application fields and environmental protection and sustainable development, nonwovens will play an important role in the future market and the market scale will further expand.
Analysis of application fields
| Application Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Home Textiles | Furniture, bedding, kitchenware, etc. |
| Medical and Healthcare | Surgical gowns, masks, caps, shoe covers, isolation gowns, etc. |
| Automotive | Interior materials, seat cushions, headliners, etc. |
| Apparel | Casual wear, sportswear, etc. |
| Others | Sound insulation materials, floor protection, etc. |
Home furnishing field: Non-woven fabrics are particularly widely used in the home furnishing field. For example: furniture, bedding, kitchen tableware, etc.
Medical and health field: The demand for nonwoven fabrics in the medical and health field is huge. For example: surgical gowns, masks, caps, shoe covers, isolation gowns, etc.
Automobile field: Automobile manufacturing is another important market in the field of non-woven fabrics. For example: interior trim, seat cushion, headliner, etc.
Apparel field: Non-woven fabrics can be used in the production of casual wear, sportswear, etc. due to their superior performance.
Other application fields: such as sound insulation materials, floor protection, etc.
Technology development trend
Manufacturing technology innovation: In order to meet the demand of environmental protection, enterprises are committed to developing new environmental protection production processes to reduce the emission of pollutants in production.
New material application: In order to improve the functionality and performance of nonwovens, researchers continue to develop new materials in the expectation of producing green, environmentally friendly and durable products.
Product performance enhancement: We continue to strengthen the research of breathable, waterproof and abrasion resistant properties of nonwoven fabrics to meet richer market demands.
Environmental protection and sustainable development
Production process environmental protection measures: Nonwoven fabric manufacturers actively adopt advanced low-carbon environmental protection technologies to reduce energy consumption and emissions to achieve sustainable development.
Circular economy model: During the development of the nonwoven fabric industry, the circular economy model is advocated, and the concept of waste recovery and recycling is promoted.
Challenges and opportunities
Fierce market competition: Companies in the nonwovens industry should expand their market share and enhance their competitiveness in response to the fierce market competition.
Technological innovation and differentiation competition: Technological innovation is the core competitiveness of the nonwoven market, and quality and innovation are the development orientation to win market share.
Future market prospect: With the implementation of national policies and the popularization of the concept of sports and health, the prospect of the nonwoven market is promising.
Conclusions and recommendations
The nonwoven fabric market is developing rapidly and the future market prospect is promising. Enterprises can make industrial layout in response to market demand, seize opportunities, develop application fields extensively, improve product quality and brand value, and seek sustainable development.