According to a report from Market Study Reports, the Asia-Pacific protective face masks market is expected to reach $2 billion by 2026. This growth is credited to increasing cases of Covid-19, growing number of surgeries, rising cognizance of benefits of masks, and strict government guidelines regarding face masks usage.

According to the report, the Asia-Pacific protective face masks market is divided with respect to product terrain, distribution channel, end-use scope, and regional landscape. The study also mentions leading organizations in this business sphere and elaborates on the product offerings, expansion strategies undertaken, and market share held by each company.

In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and the threat of additional viruses, usage of face masks in the region is also the result of high air pollution levels in populated areas like India and China. Extensive adoption of protective masks to avert respiratory illness due to the pollution is impelling the market growth. However, less profit margins on protective masks is likely to discourage new entrants. Besides, strict government rules with respect to N95 respirators is expected to negatively impact the growth of the Asia-Pacific protective face masks market.

As per industry experts, the N95 respirators segment was projected to record 400% growth during 2019-2020, on account of high efficiency of these masks. Upsurge in production of N95 masks in APAC owing to increased demand from North American and Western European regions will stimulate the segmental share. In fact, Taiwan recently donated over 12 million face masks to nations majorly affected by the pandemic. The e-commerce segment held 24% revenue share of the Asia-Pacific protective face masks market in 2019. Stringent compliance of social distancing measures as well as contact-less deliveries offered by e-commerce firms is projected to drive the demand for protective face masks. Surging internet penetration along with striking discounts provided by online platforms will augment the growth of the segment.

In response to heightened demand for face masks as well as more stringent standards regarding their efficacy, the Asia-Pacific region, like the rest of the world has seen significant investment not only in face mask lines but also in meltblown nonwovens. Investments, from local producers as well as multinational companies, will provide a boost to the Asian face mask market in coming years.

Berry Global, the world’s largest manufacturer of nonwovens, took a multi-continent approach to expanding its face mask material production. The company already had a new meltblown asset, purchased prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, in Asia and soon expanded its meltblown business to include new lines in the U.S., France, South America and Germany, making its proprietary Meltex meltblown material for both surgical masks and N95 and N99 respirators. This added capacity will allow the company to make materials for 200 million masks annually and sources close to the company says further investment is planned for the near term.

In addition to new meltblown lines, the company has removed spunbond capabilities from its new Reicofil 5 line in China to make straight meltblown for face masks. And, Berry added nine  mask machines including one in China, one in Europe, five in the U.S. and two in the Latin American region. The combined capacity is capable of making more than 20 million masks per month.

Along with these investments, Berry has extended its Synergex range of products, developing Synergex ONE, new media design for face mask applications. Engineered to initially meet the new face mask categories for general population, the aim is to quickly bring the media up to EN 14683:2019 standards for surgical masks. The newly introduced Synergex ONE provides a multilayer nonwoven composite product in a single sheet, as an alternative to traditional face mask layer structures.

Meanwhile, in Japan Mitsui Chemicals announced last March it would expand production of meltblown nonwovens at wholly owned subsidiary Sunrex Industry Co., Ltd., starting operations at the new facilities in January. The investment increased the Mitsui Chemicals Group’s overall production capacity for these materials by 50%.

These materials will help fuel Mitsui’s mask business. The company has been working on the development of a new, reusable 3D-printed mask with Professor Hori Katsutoshi of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University and Friend Microbe Inc., a spinoff venture from Nagoya University.

The key feature of the mask design is that is can filter out viral particles but can also be reused. It consists of a reusable body and a disposable filter. Mitsui Chemicals will provide the nonwoven disposable filter, which removes viral particles. Professor Hori has produced the mask body using a 3D printer and is investigating enzyme preparations and various other antiviral agents that could be applied. Plans are to produce a mask with consideration of design and comfort while also ensuring that it provides outstanding protection against viruses. In working together with a university, a university startup and a materials manufacturer, Mitsui Chemicals aims to offer socially beneficial solutions and tie this into the development of novel products that will help shape the next generation.

Also in Japan, Kuraray Co., Ltd. will modify the production output  of its meltblown nonwoven fabric production facility, which is located on the premises of the Okayama Factory. This facility is run by nonwoven fabric production and sales subsidiary Kuraray Kuraflex Co., Ltd. that is currently undergoing expansion. This move will allow a line that normally targets filter materials to exclusively focus on face masks. The technology’s fine structure, consisting solely of extremely thin polymer fibers that are firmly intertwined without the use of binders, make them ideal for face masks.

Against this backdrop, the group decided to modify the production item lineup of this meltblown nonwoven fabric production facility currently undergoing expansion to enable to produce face mask filters. This move is expected to empower the group to produce enough sheets of meltblown nonwoven fabric for approximately 300 million face masks per year. In this way, the Kuraray Group will contribute to nationwide efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In China, the country’s leading energy and chemical company, Sinopec, put its first meltblown nonwovens  line into operation at its Yanshan factory in Beijing. The Yanshan factory is a converted 3600-square-meter old warehouse that has found new life as a global production base following the challenges brought by the coronavirus outbreak.

The 14,400-ton capacity Yanshan facility is one of Sinopec’s two meltblown nonwoven fabric assembly bases and is co-managed with China National Machinery Industry Corporation. The base has two nonwoven production lines and three spunbond production lines and can produce up to four tons of meltblown fabric for 1.2 million N95 disposable masks or six tons for six disposable masks per day.

The new facility also takes advantage of Sinopec’s integrated upstream supply-chain by sourcing local materials from Yanshan and support from the on-site synthetic resin production line. 
“It normally takes about half a year to complete the construction of a 10,000-ton meltblown fabric factory. We have done it in 12 days, 48 hours ahead of schedule. In a challenging time like this, saving 48 hours means that we can produce an extra 12 million disposable masks,” says Lv Dapeng, spokesperson of Sinopec Corp.

The largest medical material supplier in China, Sinopec is a significant supplier of polypropylene, a key component in the production of disposable masks for medical use. The new assembly line will ensure a stable supply of medical supplies, such as masks and clothing, can be distributed across the nation and worldwide. 

“We are privileged to support those who are protecting us from the virus. Sinopec will utilize all of our resources to ensure supplies to the frontline are guaranteed,” says Dapeng. 

To help aid in the effort to increase mask supply, hygiene companies around the world, including Procter & Gamble, Ontex and Essity, began making face masks in spring 2020. In China, Daddybaby, a Fujian-based diaper manufacturer, like many other Chinese enterprises, has responded to the call by the Chinese government to adjust some of its production lines for protective materials in a very short period of time. The quality of the products satisfies the production standard for China’s civilian-use protective face masks. Over the past few months, Daddybaby has provided over 30 million civilian-use face masks to the people in China and has donated over 2 million civilian-use face masks to other people in need in many countries around the world. In the future, Daddybaby will actively provide high-quality face masks that satisfy the quality standards of different countries and regions.

China began applying a new testing national standard on face masks (GB2626-2019), in July 2020. This new standard is be helpful for countries to unify testing standards on protective materials further. As the Covid-19 epidemic continues to spread globally, the demands for protective materials are increasing in many countries around the world. China has earned experiences in controlling the outbreak rather successfully and has become a country with the highest capacity in producing protective materials in the world. Thanks to many enterprises in China that have adjusted their production lines to manufacture protective gear, including face masks and protective gowns since the beginning of the outbreak, China’s protective materials exports have provided strong support for other countries in this fight against the virus.