Behnam Pourdeyhimi
Klopman Distinguished Professor and
Associate Dean for Industry Research and Extension
Executive Director,
The Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center
The Nonwovens Institute
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
E-mail: bpourdey@ncsu.edu

The nonwovens industry became commercially viable during the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S.; the viability in Europe, Japan and Asia followed. The genesis of the industry largely occurred outside the conventional textile industry. The pioneers of this industry, Kendal, the former Chicopee companies and other early developers of the technologies in the U.S., were not from the mainstream of the textile industry.

The nonwovens industry is organized differently and separately from the textile industry. While the two industries share some common heritage, the nonwovens industry has grown to the present broad array of engineered fiber and polymer-based products, driven by high-speed, low-cost (sometimes), innovative and value-added processes or technologies. In so doing, it has developed an identity distinct from the traditional textile industry, which focuses primarily on supplying fabrics to the apparel and residential furnishing industries. 

Today’s supply chain segments of the nonwovens industry include raw material and auxiliaries suppliers, roll goods producers, fabricators of end-use products that use nonwovens and the associated machinery industry. Moreover, nonwovens are an essential part of hundreds, if not thousands, of commercial products, such as luggage, shoes, automobiles, furniture, carpets, hygiene, personal care products, and so on. More often than not, nonwovens are engineered to meet performance requirements of a specific end use.

In roughly 50 years from its rudimentary beginnings, the nonwovens industry has gained a significant economic status all over the globe.

The areas of growth for this industry initially focused on short-life, disposable, single-use products. Today, the applications for nonwovens are quite diverse and in many ways resemble the developments in the value-added technical textiles. 

While it is impossible to track data for all applications in which nonwovens are an important, if not a critical, component, it is possible to look at a few specific markets. In the 2002 Nonwovens Industry in North America, Ian Butler defined the nonwovens market segments and sub-segments as shown in Table 1. To illustrate the differences in perceptions of applications, the comparable list of application markets in Europe, as defined by EDANA is given in Table 2.

Table 1. Nonwovens Market Segment Definitions [Butler (2003 a)]

Hygiene	Any nonwoven component used in disposable baby diapers, training pants, feminine care products (sanitary napkins and tampons), adult incontinence and underpads. (Does not include any wipes or nursing pads captured in wipes segments.)
Medical/Surgical	Disposable surgical packs and gowns (also isolation gowns), drapes, sterilization wrap, accessories (caps, masks and shoe covers), sponges and dressings, patient and staff apparel. NOTE: Medical incontinent products and baby diapers are covered in the hygiene segment. Medical wipes are listed under wipes. Bed linens are in furnishings and bedding.
Wipes	Consumer pre-moistened baby, adult and other wipes, large array of dry, disposable and limited-use consumer and industrial/institutional wipes. The industrial/institutional segment is further comprised of food service, janitorial, recreation, clean room/critical task, general purpose industrial, automotive aftermarket, printing and publishing and many others. (Abrasive pads are excluded and should be listed under others.)
Air Filtration	Dust collection, high efficiency and "absolute" filters for clean rooms, hospitals, etc., heating, ventilating and air conditioning filters, facemasks, carburetor air, vacuum cleaner bags, and passenger car cabin filters.
Liquid Filtration	Metal fabrication coolant oil, process liquid, swimming pools and spas, edible oil, cooking oil, tea bags, coffee filters, micron-rated bags and blood filters (medical).
Industrial Garments	All disposable garments for industrial, institutions and consumer applications (excluding medical and surgical applications gowns captured in medical segment).
Other Disposable Markets	Include a variety of large and small markets including fabric softener substrate, sterile and non-sterile packaging, oil/chemical sorbents, napkins and tabletop materials, packaging material, tape substrate, cosmetic pads and many others.
Interlinings	Waistbands, coat and jacket fronts, chest pieces and shoulder rolls, sport shirt interlinings. All fusible or sewn-in interlinings for apparel.
Shoe, Leather Goods	Shoe linings and other outer materials, as well as backing or substrates for materials in shoes, leather goods, book covers.
Coating/Laminate Substrates	All coating substrate applications, including flocked products, coated nonwovens used in automotive, upholstery, luggage, floor and wall covering materials.
Floor Coverings	All primary and secondary backings and carpet underlay for residential, commercial and automotive carpet applications.
Furnishings and Bedding	Bedding applications: dust covers, flanging, quilt backings, mattress insulators and Marshall spring wrap. Upholstered furniture: dust covers, spring insulators for arms and backs, skirt linings, decking, breather fabrics, pull strips and cushion internal ticking. Home furnishings: draperies, pleated shades, vertical blind components, mattress pads, skirt decking, toss pillow inserts.
Building Construction	Roofing materials, building materials, insulation, wall protection and house wrap.
Geotextiles	Road building and resurfacing materials, materials for erosion control, pond underliners and other civil engineering uses. NOTE: Geotextiles are part of the geosynthetics business, which includes geotextiles, geo-membranes (liners), geo-grids and fabricated drains.
Automotive	All nonwovens except carpet backings used in the automotive industry (except filtration captured in filter segment). The larger segments are trunkliners, kick panels, package trays, dashboards, headliners, seat construction and engine hood liners.
Electronics	Includes battery separators, floppy disk liners, cable wrap, a part of circuit board substrates and other similar electronic applications.
Other Durable Markets	Includes tarpaulins, apparel insulation, paper- making felts, coated bale wrap, can separators, abrasive pads and a host of small markets.

Table 2. End-Use Definitions by EDANA [EDANA (2004)]

Personal Care and Hygiene	Baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence products, dry and wet wipes, training pants, cosmetic removal pads, nursing pads, nasal strips, adhesive for dental plates, disposable underwear.
Wipes Industry	Manufacturing, engineering and maintenance: cleaning machines and tools, absorbing fluids and oil, hand cleaning. Automotive industry: surface preparation before painting, polishing, oil and chemical absorbents. Transportation: vehicle cleaning and maintenance, cleaning surfaces before spraying, window cleaning. Printing: machine cleaning and maintenance, absorbing ink and other fluid, hand cleaning. Food industry: machine cleaning and maintenance, absorbing ink and other fluids, hand cleaning. Janitorial: delicate polishing tasks, equipment cleaning and maintenance, dust removal. Electronic and computer industry: delicate cleaning tasks, dust removal. Optical industries: polishing tasks, dust removal, contact lenses.
Medical	Surgical: disposable caps, gowns, masks and shoe covers, drapes, wraps and packs, sponges, dressings and wipes, bed linen, contamination control gowns, examination gowns, transdermal drug delivery, shrouds, underpads, procedure packs, heat packs, ostomy bag liners, fixation tapes, incubator mattresses.
Home	Wipes and mops, washing pouches, fabric softener, vacuum cleaner bags, washcloths, kitchen and fan filters, tea and coffee bags, coffee filters, napkins and table clothes, clothing and shoe bags, dusters, stain removers, kettle descaler bags, food wrap.
Leisure and Travel	Sleeping bags, tents, luggage, handbags, shopping bags, food delivery, i.e., pizza, airline headrests, CD protection, pillow cases, surf boards, beer can widgets, sandwich packaging.
Clothing	Interlinings, clothing insulation and protection, handbag components, shoe components, belt liners, fire protection suits, high-visibility garments, industrial headwear and footwear, disposable work wear, clothing and shoe bags, chemical defense suits.
Home Furnishing	Furniture construction: insulators to arms and backs, cushion ticking, dust covers, linings, stitch reinforcements, edge trim materials. Bedding construction: quilt backing, dust covers, spring wrap, mattress pad components, mattress covers. Window curtains, wall coverings, carpet backing, lampshades.
School and Office	Book covers, mailing envelopes, maps, signs and pennants, towels, bank notes.
Automotive	Boot liners, parcel shelves, heat shields, shelf trim, moulded bonnet liners, boot floor covering, oil filters, headliners, rear parcel shelves, cabin air filters, decorative fabrics, airbags, silencer pads, insulation materials, car covers, underpadding, car mats, tapes, backing for tufted carpets, seat covers, door trim.
Building	Roofing and tile underlay, underslating, thermal and noise insulation, house wrap, facings for plaster board, pipe wrap, concrete moulding layers, foundations and ground stabilization, vertical drainage.
Geotextiles	Asphalt overlay, soil stabilization, drainage, sedimentation and erosion control, pond liners, impregnation base, drainage channel liners.
Industrial	Coated fabrics, electronics (floppy disc liners), filters (air, liquid, and gases), satellite dishes, clothing, surfacing tissues and veils, cable insulation, insulation tapes, abrasives, conveyor belts, reinforced plastics, PVC substrates, flame barriers, artificial leather, noise absorbent layers, air conditioning, battery separators (alkaline cells, acid systems, rechargeable), anti-slip matting.
Filtration (Liquid, Air and Gases)	HEVAC/HEPA/ULPA filters, liquid (oil, beer, milk, liquid coolants, fruit juices, etc.), activated carbon.
Agriculture	Crop covers, seed blankets, weed control fabrics, greenhouse shading, roots bags, biodegradable plant pots, capillary matting.

Butler further divided the market segments (consumption of nonwovens) under two broad product categories of short-life (disposable), and long-life (durables) in which the nonwovens are used. In the short-life category, hygiene and wipes represent two of the largest application areas, whereas hygiene (9.5%) and air filtration (8.3%) represent two of the highest growth rate areas. In the long-life context, furnishings and beddings represent the largest consumers of nonwovens, whereas agriculture/landscaping (7.8%) and electronic components (7.3%) represent the highest growth rate areas. This is the area that will overlap significantly with those in the technical textiles area. 

Nonwovens are often used in unexpected and hidden places. It is asserted that the largest market for nonwovens in electronic components in 2002 was in the battery separator area, which consumed an estimated 274 million squaremeters of fabric valued at $200 million USD [Butler (2003a)].  Yet another way to exemplify the use of nonwovens in unexpected and hidden places is in the area of carpet backings and floor coverings. In 2002, the North American industry consumed 46,000 tons, or 651 million square meters, or $179 million USD worth of nonwovens. Of this amount, 149 million square meters was consumed as backings in automotive carpets. 

There are two trends that are responsible for the growth in the use of nonwovens in the technical textiles markets.  The first is illustrated in Figure 1 below:

Figure 1.  Market Penetration for Selected Markets in the U.S. [from INDA and other sources].

It is clear that the historically large medical and consumer products areas are reaching saturation in the U.S. The same is also becoming evident in the European and Japanese markets. Therefore, the industrial (technical textiles) sector represents significant potential for growth. The second reason for the growth in technical textiles relates to performance and not necessarily cost. In the traditional nonwovens markets, while performance is important, cost is often the major driver. In the technical textiles arena, the performance is critical to the success of the product. Nonwovens offer significant diversity and flexibility in offering engineered solutions for many of these markets, making them an attractive alternative to traditional methods of forming technical textiles. Our evaluation of the growth opportunities for various markets is depicted below in Figure 2.

 

Figure 2.  Projected Lifecycle for Various Applications.

It is our estimate that the industrial, wipes, filtration and automotive applications will continue to present significant opportunities for nonwovens. The area referred to as durables refers to apparel, home furnishings and the like – applications that have to demonstrate wash durability and significant aesthetic features. Consumer acceptance will be a key to the success of this sector, unless value-added, functional applications are targeted first. 

With respect to process technologies, what is clear is that in North America and Europe, the spunmelt technologies (spunbond and meltblown technologies and their composites) dominate, while in the rest of the world, the staple fiber process technologies dominate. What is not shown, however, is the fact that the use of certain technologies, such as hydroentangling, appears to be limited for now to North America, Europe and Japan. Watch out for technical applications utilizing hydroentangling. This process technology can be the key to the opening of some new markets for nonwovens. In another future segment, this topic will be addressed fully. 

Figure 3 While suggests that spunbond, meltblown technologies are in their growth stage as against carding, it is also true that innovative advances in the carding technology can complicate this picture. Thus, the life cycle idea depends both on the innovation possibilities within a technology, as well as the economic environment in which a technology is used.

 

Figure 3.  Projected Lifecycles of Different Process Technologies [Conoly].

What is certain is that nonwovens are here to stay and will find acceptance in many technical applications. It is not surprising that we are finding many nonwovens at Techtextil exhibitions and this is certain to increase.

REFERENCES USED

• Butler, Ian (2003a), “The 2002 Nonwovens Industry in North America.” INDA, Cary, NC, USA.
• Butler, Ian (2003b), “Worldwide Outlook for the Nonwovens Industry,” INDA, Cary, NC, USA.
• Conley, J. T. (1999), “Airlaid Comes of Age,” Nonwovens World, pp. 52-56, June-July 1999.
• Dobson, Stan (1998), Public excerpts from "Nonwoven Textiles 1997-2007 World Survey," A report by Stan Dobson, Consultant, TECNON Ltd, via: http://www.mc2link.com/fibermrkt.htm.
• DRA (2002), “Technical Textiles and Nonwovens: World Market Forecasts to 2010,” David Rigby and Associates, Manchester, UK.
• DRA (2003), “Nonwoven End-use Products: World Market Forecasts to 2010,” David Rigby and Associates, Manchester, UK.
• EDANA (1996), “ERT EDANA Recommended Test Methods,” Brussels.
• EDANA (2004), http://www.edana.org/; http://www.edana.org/documents_sections/edana_nonwovens/2002%20stats%20website%20brochure.pdf
• OED on-line (2004)
• Ohmura, K. (2002), “Trends of Nonwovens Production.” Nonwovens Industry, July 2002, pp 26-28.
• Paperloop publication (2003): “Nonwoven Markets - Asia Market Analysis.”
• Paperloop publications (2004): http://www.nonwovens.com/market/regional/europe.shtml.
• Truelove, P. and Nordgren, G. (1981), "Evolution of European Nonwoven Industry 1970-1985," INDEX '81 Conference Papers, Vol. 1, EDANA Brussels.
• Smith, D. K (1998), “Nonwovens Markets in the 21st Century,” Nonwovens World, pp. 64-70, Winter 1998.

                                                  ***

Supporting Those Who Protect Us
Safety Components’ First Responders 911 Charity Golf Tournament

Best known for their technical fabric capability and expertise, Safety Components, a division of The International Textile Group, is a developer of the latest in technical fabrics used in applications such as air bags, fuel cells, oil booms, soft armor, filter media, fireman turnout gear, ballistic luggage and military. Every fall, however, the company, through its
First Responders 911 Foundation, mobilizes in support
of first responder charities.

As a commitment to one of their core
industry markets, the company
introduced its First Responders 911
Foundation five years ago in early
2002. Its mission is to raise and
provide financial assistance to first
responder charitable causes that are
endorsed by, and cooperatively
chosen with, national and local fire
fighting and law enforcement
agencies.

Each fall, the company holds its
annual First Responders 911 Charity
Golf Classic. Since their first golf
tournament in the fall of 2002, Safety
Components has awarded over
$137,500 to the National Fallen Fire
Fighters Foundation (www.firehero.org) and the Southeastern Fire Fighters Burn Foundation (www.theburncenter.org). The company is recognized annually as a Gold Helmet Sponsor by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

“It’s been only weeks since the tragic loss of nine fire fighters in Charleston, S.C., which reminded everyone of the hazards faced by the everyday men and women who protect our communities,” said Joey Underwood, organizer of the annual tournament and Safety Components’ senior vice president. “Not since September 11, 2001, when 343 brave fire fighting heroes perished in the World Trade Center, has the perilous nature of fire fighting taken such a high profile. We are fortunate as a nation to have such loyal and dedicated fire fighters and we use our foundation and this tournament to show our appreciation.”

Safety Components will again sponsor the First Responders 911 Charity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 4 and 5 at the Thornblade Country Club in Greenville, S.C. The tournament continues to receive strong support from many of the company’s suppliers, customers, friends and the local industry. 

If you are interested in participating or learning more about available team sponsorships, hole sponsorships or silent auction item donations, please contact Sylvia Holmes at (864) 240-2693 or sholmes@safetycomponents.com. More information about the company and the golf tournament can be found at www.safetycomponents.com.