Global Non-Woven Fabric Market - 2022-2029

Market Overview

The global non-woven fabric market size was worth US$ XX million in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$ XX million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.9% within the forecast period (2022-2029).

Non-woven fabrics are broadly described as sheet or web structures bonded collectively by thermally, mechanically or chemically entangled fiber and filaments. It can be made according to needs and requirements, such as absorbent, flame resistant, breathable, durable, heat sealable, light, moldable, soft, stable, stiff, tear-resistant and water repellent.

Non-woven fabrics are made in two ways: felted and bonded. The fabrics use fibers rather than yarns that are laid uniformly or randomly to make web-like layers. They are held together by either the bonding or felting process. The utilization of non-woven fabrics in the medical field has outpaced woven materials in current years. Non-woven fabrics were proven superior in adaptability, disposability, cost and effectiveness.

The increasing application base in the healthcare and personal care industry and the rising demand for electric vehicles globally are expected to create new opportunities in the market. The spun-bond technology dominated the market share in 2020 and will likely witness the largest CAGR during the forecast period.

Market Dynamics

Growing demand for non-woven fabric for hygiene applications has escalated the product's market share.

Growing demand for non-woven fabric for hygiene applications has escalated the product's market share

According to BCH (Indian non-wovens industry organization), sanitary napkin market penetration has increased by 18% in India since 2014. Over 60% of Indian women do not use sanitary items, according to recent estimates. The increasing use of sanitary items is primarily owing to the large number of people living in rural areas. The market for non-woven fabrics in the country is predicted to grow fast as the penetration rate of sanitary care products rises due to increased hygiene measures.

Due to increased hygiene-related concerns, China's market for feminine products and newborn diapers has rapidly risen. They're also found in sanitary towels, sanitary napkins, tampons, infant diapers and napkin liners, among other things.

Non-woven fibers have been in high demand in hygiene applications because of their comparatively inexpensive cost of manufacture, varied mechanical capabilities and efficient cross-infection prevention properties.

Natural raw materials are gradually gaining traction in non-woven hygiene products, with mindful choices and sustainable themes impacting consumer preferences. Furthermore, using natural resources to create non-woven fiber hygiene products helps producers comply with government standards.

The growing manufacturing of biodegradable non-woven fibers made entirely from plant-based raw materials is expected to significantly contribute to the market's growth. The positive consumer impression of non-woven fabrics is anticipated to keep this industry growing.

Shortage of raw materials restricts the growth of the non-woven fabric market

The availability of raw materials is the most significant factor that directly impacts the end-product market. In non-woven fabrics, more than 80% of the raw material fibers are synthetic. Some raw material fibers, such as polyester, are available in large quantities and at affordable prices; others, such as carbon fibers, glass fibers or high-tenacity yarns and aramids, are costlier and not easily available.

The major raw material used for producing non-woven fabric is a homopolymer. According to the president of the Non-woven Federation of India (NFWI), the sudden surge in homopolymer prices has put non-woven fabric producers under financial pressure.

The rise in raw material costs has increased the demand for funds. Unable to afford the required quantity at such a high price, businesses have scaled-down production and their plants currently run at 50-70% capacity.

In addition, an unexpected surge in polypropylene prices resulted in a price rise of spunbond non-woven fabric used for making PPE kits and surgical being used extensively amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation could be better as larger units operate at lower production capacity and smaller ones are staring at temporary closure.

Today, non-woven fabrics on the market price vary widely for even a uniform material with the same weight and width as non-woven fabrics. Therefore, for many purchasing staff to buy non-woven, the price is often the biggest one of their troubles.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused businesses and manufacturing facilities to close, resulting in a lack of economic activity. Consumers globally focus on essential commodities and personal protective equipment as governments create economic packages for SMEs and other benefits. As a result, COVID-19 is likely to have a minimal negative impact on the non-woven fabric market's growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an overall mixed impact on the non-woven fabric industry in 2020, pushing suppliers to rapidly adapt to the high demand for crucial end-use products, the limitations of stay-at-home orders and a recession economy. As a result, non-woven demand is expected to decline slightly in 2020 as gains in the medical market offset losses in building and construction, automotive and commercial products, among others.

U.S demand for medical non-wovens spiked 12% in 2020 as demand surged for a range of non-woven-based products, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and medical gowns, as well as disinfecting wipes. Hence, non-woven manufacturers around the globe are expanding their production capacity and investing in machinery to manufacture healthcare essentials in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in July 2020, Fitesa announced plans to install a new meltblown production line to supply raw materials for producing N95 face masks. A company in Chengdu city in southwest China's Sichuan province was reported to produce 2.2 tonnes of melt-blown non-wovens per day to meet the demand for face mask production.

Berry Global Group announced that it prioritized the production of non-woven healthcare products at its Nanhai and Suzhou facilities in China, which are used to manufacture products that can help protect against airborne particles like the coronavirus.

Segment Analysis

The global non-woven fabric market is segmented by type, technology, application and region.

Spun bond's dominant market position is due to rising demand for spunbond non-woven in various applications such as hygiene products, battery separators, construction, coating substrates, agriculture, wipes and filtration

The global non-woven fabric market based on technology is segmented into spun bond, wet-laid, dry-laid and others. The spun bond segment is a major type of non-woven fabric market. Based on technology, the Spun bond segment dominates in the non-woven fabric market. The growth is due to improving demand for spunbond non-woven in various applications such as hygiene products, agriculture, battery separators, construction, coating substrates, wipes and filtration. Spunbond is one of the most popular technologies for mass-producing non-woven fabrics.

Furthermore, Continuous filaments are formed by an integrated fiber spinning, web forming and bonding process in spun bond non-woven fabrics. As it eliminates intermediate steps, it is the shortest textile route from polymer to fabrics in one stage and provides opportunities for increasing production and reducing cost.

Even though the technology was created simultaneously in Europe and U.S. in the late 1950s, its economic potential was only recognized in the 1960s. Production lines, mostly nonproprietary, have been installed in Asia, South America and the Middle East, in locations and nations where the technology had previously been unavailable. Thus growing penetration of spun bond technology in various regions of the globe is more likely to accelerate the market demand for the segment in the forecast period.

For instance, on September 27, 2021, UK's Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) announced introducing its new lab-scale spunbond system at the forthcoming INDEX 2020 non-woven exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 19th-22nd' 2020. The new spunbond line, which complements the company's proven melt-blown technique, allows for unprecedented scaled production of novel non-woven textiles based on a wide range of fibers and polymers, including bicomponent.

Geographical Analysis

Due to the commissioning of additional capacities and increased non-woven fabric production in Asia-Pacific, the market of the region shows dominating share at a global scale

Asia-Pacific is projected to be the largest consumer of non-woven fabrics globally, owing to the commissioning of additional capacities and increased non-woven fabric production in the region.

China had the greatest share in non-woven fabric consumption and production worldwide. Furthermore, China's textile industry is booming and higher government investment and assistance under the 13th Five-Year Plan. While the country, with enormous production capacity, is still the world's largest clothing exporter, high labor costs, oversupply at home and rising global protectionism have eroded its competitiveness.

India, on the other side, is the market's third-largest country. Growing household income, rising population, rising income levels, increased organized retail and growth of end-use sectors such as housing, hospitality and healthcare support the rise of Indian home textiles. As a result, the textile industry's expansion in Asian countries is mostly due to cheaper production costs and inexpensive labor. Thus growing textile industry in Asian countries is the prime factor contributing to the growth of the non-woven fabric market.

According to BCH (Indian non-woven industry organization), sanitary napkin market penetration has increased by 18% in India since 2014. Out of around 40 crore menstruating women in India, less than 20% use sanitary napkins. However, in urban areas of the country, this number only goes up to 52%. It is primarily owing to the large number of people living in rural areas. The market for non-woven in the country is predicted to grow fast as the penetration rate of sanitary care products rises due to increased hygiene measures and growing government promotion to support awareness programs in rural populations.

Competitive Landscape

The global non-woven fabric market is highly competitive with local and global key players. The key players contributing to the market's growth are Dow, Johns Manville, A Berkshire Hathaway Company, BERRY GLOBAL, INC, KCWW, Freudenberg & Co. KG, Glatfelter Corporation, Suominen Corporation, FITESA S.A, TWE GmbH & Co. KG, Ahlstrom-Munksjo, ENVIONEER among others.

The major companies are adopting several growth strategies, such as product launches, acquisitions and collaborations, contributing to the global growth of the non-woven fabric market.

• In July 2021, Fitesa introduced two new products, Fitesa Shield AV and Fitesa Shield, that inactivate coronavirus. Fitesa Shield AV non-woven has silver ions in its structure. The Fitesa Shield product line consists of antiviral spunbond and multi-layer SMS.
• In June 2021, Reference Material Producer No: 4001 was accredited by International Standard ISO 17034:2016 - General requirements for the proficiency of reference material producers.

DOW

Overview: Dow is a multinational corporation producing plastics, chemicals and hydrocarbons. The company has segmented its product portfolio into 22 categories to offer automotive and transportation, beauty and personal care, building, construction and infrastructure, chemical manufacturing and industrial, consumer goods and appliances and other industries. DowDuPont completed the division of its materials science business and Dow Inc. in April 2019 and became the direct parent company of TDCC and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Dow chemical company operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and expanded in America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa.

Product Portfolio: Non-Wovens and fibers: The company offers 13 products under the non-woven and fibers segment used in healthcare and hygiene. The product portfolio consists of the following:

• ASPUN 6000 Fiber Resin- The product is composed of polyethylene and finds application in monocomponent and bicomponent spun bound as well as the fiber production process
• ASPUN 6834 Fiber Resin-The product is used in bicomponent staple fiber and spun bond and is composed of polyethylene.

Key Development

• In 2021, Dow and Zhanjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone Administrative Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the Dow South China Specialties Hub, a multi-year project providing local access to Dow's products and innovative technologies portfolio.

Why Purchase the Report?

• Visualize the global non-woven fabric market segmentation by type, technology, application and region, highlighting key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities in the non-woven fabric market by analyzing trends and co-development deals.
• Excel data sheet with thousands of global non-woven fabric market-level 4/5 segmentation points.
• PDF report with the most relevant analysis cogently put together after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study.
• Product mapping in excel for the key product of all major market players

The global non-woven fabric market report would provide approximately 59 market data tables, 61 figures and 211 pages.

Target Audience 2022

• Service Providers/ Buyers
• Residential
• Research Laboratory
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• Energy & Utilities Companies
• Distributors