Due to the increase in demand caused by the novel coronavirus, the nonwoven fabrics market is expected to see huge growth in coming years.
According to Yahoo Finance:
“Nonwoven fabric market size is forecast to reach $42 billion by 2025, after growing at a CAGR of 7.4% during 2020-2025, owing to the wide usage of nonwoven fabrics in various applications such as agricultural coverings, apparel lining, automotive upholstery, carpeting, filters, disposable diapers, hygiene products, roofing, wall coverings and sterile medical products.
“The demand for nonwoven fabrics are increasing in varied industries due to its extensive set of properties such as absorbency, cushioning, retardancy, excellent thermal insulation, sterility, strength, softness and liquid repellency. Nonwoven fabrics can be designed with specific targeted properties such as can be produced with substantial variations in thickness, mass, voluminosity, elasticity and stiffness.
“Also, nonwoven fabrics are comparatively quick and cheap to manufacture than the knitted fabrics, which is anticipated to drive the nonwoven fabric market substantially during the forecast period.
Key Takeaways
- “Asia Pacific dominates the nonwoven fabric market, owing to the increasing construction activities in the region due to various government initiatives such as “100 smart cities” and “One Belt, One Road” in the APAC region.
- “The nonwoven fabrics market is witnessing a shift due to several advantages over the woven fabrics such as overlapping of yarns to create pores, better liquid repellence, and high-tech fabrics.
- “Nonwoven fabrics are organized from long fibers, bonded collectively by mechanical, chemical, heat or solvent treatment due to which they are smooth and porous than sheets that are made from separate fibers or from molten plastic or plastic film. These high performance properties are driving the nonwoven fabric market during the forecast period.
- “Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic the growth of healthcare industry is accelerating. The demand for packaging, wipes, and medical apparel is increasing due to which the nonwoven fabric is also significantly increasing, which is boosting the nonwoven fabric market growth.
By Material Type – Segment Analysis
“The polypropylene materials segment holds the largest share in the nonwoven fabric market in 2019, owing to the rising demand of polypropylene nonwoven fabrics from various sectors as, non woven fabric lasts for almost 5 years and they decomposes naturally if placed outdoors. Also, when burning, it is non-toxic, odorless and leaves no residual substances, so non woven fiber does not pollute the environment.
“Therefore, non woven polypropylene is taken to be an eco-friendly market. Polypropylene nonwoven fibers find extensive applications in construction industry; especially in roofing, tile underlayment, pipelines wrapping, acoustical ceiling, and overall insulation. The product is also used in agriculture and landscaping in root bags, capillary matting, turf protection, weed control fabrics and crops, which is anticipated to drive the nonwoven fibers market during the forecast period.
Drivers – Nonwoven Fabric Market
Increasing Demand of Nonwoven fabric from Automotive Sector
“The demand of nonwoven fabrics in the automotive and transportation industries are increasing for manufacturing parts such as column padding, anti-rattle pads, battery separators, boats, car mats, console box linings, covering materials, panel trims, wheel-well acoustic reinforcements, headliners backing, upholstery backings, window frames and various filters.
“Nonwovens are used for primary backings, secondary backings and trunk liners as they offer excellent properties such as moldability, flame retardancy, sterility acoustic insulation, absorbency filtration, liquid repellency and bacterial barrier. Nonwovens are also being widely used in the transportation sector to reinforce tires as they extend the life of the tire, provide strength and durability, and are lightweight and cost-effective, which acts as a driver for the nonwoven fabric market.
Increasing Demand of Nonwoven Fabrics For Various Applications
“There is an increasing demand of nonwoven fabrics in the geotextile, medical, packaging, electronics, hygiene and construction industries for greenhouse shading, artificial turf, pavement overlays, fuel cells, sterile packaging, swabs, cable wrap, roadway reinforcements, battery separators, drapes, drainage, and erosion control applications.
“The nonwoven fabric based geotextiles are flexible and textile-like polymer fabrics of controlled permeability due to which they are being widely used in the construction of roads and for land reclamation. Nonwoven fabric reusable bags have become extremely popular with consumers as part of the earth-friendly movement as they are lightweight, sturdy and cut down on the number of plastic bags being used. The rising demand of nonwoven geotextiles from various industrial sectors for various application acts as a driver for the nonwoven fabric market during the forecast period.
Challenges – Nonwoven Fabric Market
High Cost of Raw Materials Because of Volatility In Crude Oil Prices
“The raw materials often used for manufacturing nonwoven fabrics such as polypropylene, polyester and polyamides are derived from the crude oil. So, the price fluctuation of crude oil hinders with the price of nonwoven fabric raw materials. According to, BP Statistical Review of World Energy,
“In the recent year there is been an increase in the price volatility of crude oil, such as the crude oil price decreased from $98.95 in 2014 to $52.39 in 2015 and increased from $43.73 in 2016 to $71.31 in 2018. And because of this uncertainty in crude oil prices the price of nonwoven fiber also increases. Thus, the volatility in crude oil prices is expected to be a significant challenge for the nonwoven fabrics market manufacturers during the forecast period.
Market Landscape
“Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the nonwoven fabric market. In 2019, the market of nonwoven fabric has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the nonwoven fabric market are DuPont, Kimberly- Clarke, Berry Global Group, Ahlstrom-Munksjo, Freudenberg, Suominen, Johns Manville, Fitesa, TWE Group, Advansa, Toray Industries, Hollingsworth & Vose, Milliken & Company and Fibertex Nonwovens.
Acquisitions/Technology Launches
- “In April, 2020 Ahlstrom-Munksjo and Suominen signed a multi-year commercial agreement to renew and strengthen the existing cooperation at the Stalldalen plant in Sweden in order to enhance the Suominen’s ability to serve its customers around the world and cross-qualify production sites on various continents and thus increase their security of supply.
- “In April, 2020 Advansa launched Adva MegaBond, a next generation available in binding for the nonwovens industry, especially wetlaid and drylaid substrates. The binder fiber is supplied in amorphous state and can be used to create a strong, self-reinforcing network that is 100% recyclable in many combinations with other fibers.”
