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According to market research firm Smithers, the global medical nonwovens market totals (expected) $2.49 billion in 2020, up from $2.09 billion in 2019. Smithers predict that future growth, at constant prices, will drive the global market to $2.95 billion by 2025. Phil Mango, a professional consultant for Smithers nonwovens, said that the most tight supply and demand situation is masks and medical clothing. Most other segments of medical nonwovens in 2020 have no supply and demand issues.

Smithers have just completed an in-depth report-the impact of supply chain disruptions on nonwovens production-that analyzes some of the key weaknesses in the supply chain during the new crown epidemic, including regional imbalances, transportation issues and inventory shortages. According to the report, regional imbalances have allowed key nonwovens processors to be located in limited areas. For example, meltblown nonwovens production is concentrated in Asia, resulting in insufficient supply in North America and Europe. "Even Asia has challenges," Mango said. "Asia is also home to major suppliers of key raw materials such as polyester, rayon and polypropylene."

There are also some new meltblown investments, including Berry Global in the UK, Germany, France and Latin America, Don & Low in Scotland, Fitesa in Brazil, Italy, Germany and the US, Lydall in the US and France, Sandler in Germany, and more.

Turkey-based Mogul Nonwovens announced late last year that it would add two new meltblown lines. These production lines are capable of manufacturing materials in the 15-100 gsm gram weight range and can manufacture N95 masks as well as high efficiency filtration applications and other industrial applications. Mogul CEO Serkan Gogus said that the first production line has already started commercial production and the second production line will be operational in the last quarter of this year.

During the New Crown epidemic, Mogul's Madaline microfilament nonwovens were also used as masks for the general public. Gogus said it was successful because two well-known global clothing fashion brands used Madaline materials in their reusable masks. With stockpiles and a slowdown in demand for masks and medical clothing, Mogul believes that next year will also depend on the progress of the outbreak. If the outbreak is brought under control, meltblown overcapacity will return demand to normal.
Nonwovens producer KNH Enterprises expects demand for medical products to grow slightly in 2021 compared to 2019, but is unlikely to grow as much as demand for these products will in 2020. "The global oversupply of materials and capacity will make product supply and demand fluctuate and the market will be largely oversupplied," said Allen Huang, executive vice president of global ODEM sales at KNH."

In response to the demand during the epidemic, KNH added a new meltblown production line this year, investing in the production of high-efficiency, low-resistance meltblown and microfiber nonwovens production lines. The new production line is expected to add 8,000 tons of capacity per year.

KNH has been committed to meltblown technology for more than 20 years and is widely used in medical and personal protection filter materials. Now they have introduced high-efficiency, high-permeability HEPA-grade meltblown nonwovens and officially entered the high-end filtration market. Compared with general meltblown nonwovens, KNH HEPA meltblown nonwovens can meet the H10-H14 requirements for high-efficiency filtration, with lower air resistance and higher performance. The efficiency can reach 99.995, and the air resistance can be reduced by about 30-40%. Therefore, KNH HEPA meltblown nonwovens can also provide more breathable, comfortable and protective medical and personal protection filters.

At the same time, KNH's new microfiber material will have ultra-thin fiber characteristics and structure, suitable for medical masks, wet wipes, disposable medical clothing, protective clothing and other PPE. This material is safer and more comfortable for consumers.

In Europe, Freudenberg Performance Materials (Codberg High Performance Materials) increased meltblown production capacity. The company has invested in a state-of-the-art meltblown non-woven production line at its plant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, specifically for the production of EN14683-compliant protective masks and EN149-compliant FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks. The production line started production in the first quarter of this year, and the materials produced can be used in the medical technology industry.

In the United States, Freudenberg's plant in Durham began producing masks for the US market in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The company offers FDA-approved surgical masks that meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Level 3 standards. ASTM Grade 3 surgical masks are suitable for use in high-risk environments where fluid and aerosol transmission is present, such as surgical procedures. Freudenberg is also working closely with local partners to prevent future PPE supply shortages by establishing long-term mask production for the U.S. market. According to Frank Heislitz, CEO of Freudenberg Performance Materials, with the increase in vaccination, the extreme demand for non-woven materials for Covid-19-related masks has slowed.

In Europe, RadiciGroup successfully launched a new meltblown line at Tessiture Pietro Radici SpA in Bergamo, Italy. The company's Radimelt meltblown materials used to make protective masks and other PPE have excellent filtration capabilities even against tiny particles such as viruses and ensure breathability and protection. The line can also realize products with special technical characteristics. In addition to polypropylene, the raw materials used include other polymers, such as polyester, polyamide and TPU, which can be used in the medical and filtration fields.

The company's CEO Enrico Buriani said that during the outbreak, the gap in meltblown nonwovens became very obvious, and the company continued to receive a large number of requests from customers. "The amount of meltblown materials produced in Europe is very small, which is certainly not enough to meet the needs in emergency situations," Buriani said. "Given our extensive experience in the field of nonwovens, we quickly began to think about how to establish PPE production in Italy." RadiciGroup actively respond to emergencies by setting up new production lines, such as surgical masks and protective clothing.

From the company's point of view, the demand for medical non-woven fabrics at the end-user level is still high. "All reacted positively to the lack of personal protective equipment, especially during the first wave of the epidemic, more or less several companies in each country decided to invest in the app." He explained..

Buriani say they have seen imports from the Far East return at very competitive prices, a situation that is likely to deter European companies from continuing to make such products. "In our view, this is regrettable," he said. "We think it is essential that Europe avoid being caught off guard in future health emergencies. Europe must produce the necessities itself."

In addition to meltblowing, RadiciGroup also produce Dylar spunbond nonwovens on three production lines. At the beginning of March 2020, the RadiciGroup Dylar spunbond material was successfully tested by the UNI EN 14126:2004 standard after being laminated with polyethylene film. This certification allows Radici to manufacture and sell directly to the market PPE produced from this laminate.

In the early days of the epidemic, nonwovens producer Ahlstrom-Munksjö made every effort to increase operational flexibility to increase capacity, restart dormant production lines and re-equip existing capacity. Lionel Bonte, vice president of Oslonminsk's medical business, said: "We have also been very successful in adjusting our product portfolio to meet the growing demand for masks and surgical suits by developing and validating new products." These new products include a new range of mask fabrics that offer eco-friendly options. "We know that masks are essential for outbreak protection, but in the past year we have learned that they have a negative impact on the environment."

Recent research estimates that 129 billion masks are used per month globally, which equates to 3 million masks per minute. And, according to a United Nations report, it is expected that about 75 percent of used masks, as well as other epidemic-related waste, will end up in landfills or floating in the sea. "These figures are staggering and are driving the demand for sustainable and high-performance mask fabrics." Bonte explained.

Oslonminsk's new TenderGuard mask fabric is sustainable, renewable and biocompatible. TenderGuard BioBased can be used as an internal or external covering for civilian masks. The fabric is mainly made of sustainable and renewable sources of polylactic acid (PLA), which meets EU EN13432 standards and is biodegradable and compostable under controlled conditions.

TenderGuard™BioFilter product is a sustainable filter media used as a filter in protective face coverings. This medium is mainly designed for source control of civil and infectious diseases. It can be used in a single layer or combined into a double filter layer to improve filtration performance.

This unique fabric is a unique blend of wood pulp fibers and man-made fibers based on wood pulp fibers in a unique ratio, using fibers that are 100 percent bio-based. The product is expected to obtain the EU EN13432 standard certification.

Oslonminsk is firmly committed to sustainable development and has implemented sustainable practices throughout the value chain. In this period of uncertainty, the company hopes to focus on its own areas of strength and provide sustainable benefits while improving product performance through intelligent solutions to bring about changes in the status quo. This concept is particularly reflected in the company's medical business and protective fabrics produced to ensure the safety of front-line workers.

Completely new TenderGuard™The product line also includes non-woven medical fabrics for medical surgical masks, which are extremely soft, gentle and protective. TenderGuard™Natural wet nonwoven fabric is made of natural fibers and can be applied to the inner or outer layer of the mask. When the inner and outer layers are used at the same time, it can achieve nearly 50% bacterial filtration efficiency. Relying only on the inner and outer layers to achieve such high filtration efficiency is a significant achievement, because the middle layer of the mask usually provides the greatest filtration performance. The material is environmentally friendly and the inner layer is hypoallergenic, making it a perfect choice for people with sensitive skin.

TenderGuard™Smooth is composed of bicomponent spunbond non-woven fabrics and uses patented technology to minimize raised fibers, thereby providing a smooth surface and helping to reduce skin irritation that is critical for masks. The product also has hypoallergenic properties, so the skin is more gentle to the touch, suitable for long-term wear. The fabric is suitable for high-speed production due to its high strength and softness.

This article is from Nonwovens Industry Journal

Source: Jung-International Nonwovens Industry