Nonwovens continue to be favored in the healthcare industry as the substrates routinely outperform textile products in comfort, barrier properties and resistance to contamination. Nonwovens also demonstrate reduced cost to use in highly cost-sensitive healthcare environments.

The value of nonwovens was certainly witnessed as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world in 2020, and demand for these materials and personal protective equipment (PPE) skyrocketed. Although demand has fallen since the pandemic-induced spikes of 2020, industry experts expect inventories of medical nonwovens and PPE to be elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Looking ahead, some of the main growth drivers for the medical nonwovens market will be increasing aging populations around the globe, infection prevention and prevalence of chronic disease.

The total market value for the global medical nonwoven market in 2022 is projected at $1.43 billion, up from $1.27 billion in 2019, according to market researcher Smithers. Its latest report, The Future of Global Nonwovens to 2027, forecasts future growth – by value – at 3.7% CAGR for 2022-2027, which will push world market value to $1.72 billion in 2027.

Medical nonwovens are used to produce surgical gowns, drapes, table covers, scrub suits, isolation gowns, surgical caps, shoe covers, bedding, sterilization wrap and wound care products, among other applications.

Surgical drapes and gowns are the largest segments for nonwovens in medical, and these account for more than 50% of nonwoven tons consumed historically, although this did drop in 2020, according to Phil Mango, nonwovens consultant, Smithers.

“As the global population ages and life expectancy increases, there is no reason to expect a reduction in surgical procedures; in fact, a 5-7% increase per year in such procedures through 2027 is projected,” he says. “And as universal healthcare becomes more of a global reality, expect even more procedures (if less severe or extended).”

Mango says Covid-19 made the case for regional strategic reserves of critical medical products as well as increased inventory levels of these products. “The increasing frequency of global health issues suggests medical nonwoven end-uses will continue to grow.”

Additionally, face masks were and are a small, though visible, end use, he adds, but will most likely not be a determinant in the long-term growth of this market.

For now, Smithers projects supply and demand for medical nonwovens to fluctuate short term, as oversupply in some segments, like personal protective equipment (PPE), goes through a “correction” period where inventory and excess production capacity coupled with reduced Covid needs result in overcapacity in the 2022-24 period. “We project this will be followed by a return to near historical growth and demand with demand and growth slightly elevated as consumers/institutions will likely use more medical and PPE products and certainly maintain a higher inventory than pre-Covid,” he says.

Brad Kalil, director of Market Intelligence & Economic Insights at INDA, the association of the nonwoven fabrics industry, says that the overall demand for medical nonwovens hasn’t necessarily changed recently because there are offsetting factors driving and lessening demand.

“Pushing demand up is a generally aging population, and now people are living longer, so that impacts the healthcare,” he says. “There is also a higher propensity of chronic diseases in the U.S.—heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory issues, diabetes, obesity—so those are also pushing up the demand. Increasing awareness and focus on reducing HAIs is also increasing demand.”

On the flip side, there’s been a continuing trend of less invasive surgeries that are either outpatient or exploratory. In these situations, surgical packs will be specific to the particular procedures and will require less nonwovens. The same goes for robotic surgeries. “This continuing trend of less invasive, outpatient and robotic surgeries is restraining growth,” he adds.

In 2021, Hartmann, a European manufacturer of infection management, incontinence and wound care solutions, witnessed negative growth for personal protective equipment following the peaks in 2020. But, according to a company representative, there is a market assumption of further growth driven by higher sensitiveness in hygiene measures.

From Cardinal Health’s point of view, demand for PPE is still high, but many customers stocked up during 2021 as product became available. “Some states have a minimum requirement for days of inventory on hand specific to pandemic storage,” explains Rosie Squeo, RN, BSN, MA, senior clinical consultant in Business & Clinical Optimization at Cardinal Health. “The demand truly varies from health care facility to health care facility and product by product. For example, while a customer’s pandemic storage may have six to 12 months of inventory on hand, they might need to replenish a different size each month.”

Throughout the pandemic, Medline, another manufacturer and distributer of nonwoven PPE, including gowns and face masks, remained focused on implementing new ideas to combat the national shortage of medical supplies, including expanding its North American manufacturing capabilities, says Mark Chua, vice president of Medline’s Preventive Care Division.

For example, Medline produces 200 million-plus face masks annually at its Lithia Springs, GA, plant. This manufacturing expansion is part of Medline’s Healthcare Resilience Initiative and continued supply chain investments amidst times of continued shortages. Since 2018, the company has invested $2 billion in its distribution centers, manufacturing capabilities and IT upgrades to further its commitment to delivering superior customer service, with an additional $400 million planned for 2022.

“Medline believes a robust supply chain includes both nonwovens and finished goods from near-shore and off-shore, so we appreciate the nonwoven industry’s continued investment in technology and geography,” Chua says. “We are continuing to vet new innovations and technologies that will allow our nonwovens to become more efficient, comfortable, protective, and sustainable for the modern healthcare provider.”

Nonwovens Expansion

During the past couple of years, global spunmelt capacity has expanded rapidly to not only capitalize on growth in the global hygiene market, but also meet the growing need in the healthcare market, with many nonwovens producers onshoring production to meet local needs.

In North America, around five spunbond/spunmelt lines will start up in this year, with six being added in 2023, according to INDA’s Kalil. To put this in perspective, there were eight spunbond/spunmelt lines added in the region between 2014-2016, and in the three years following, five were shut down. Kalil says the new lines coming onstream may be replacing older, inefficient machines, and some may shut down to keep the market balanced.

Among these new investments is PFNonwovens’ $75 million expansion at its North American headquarters in Hazleton, PA. The Reicofil 5 3.2m wide line was completed earlier this year.

“We’re excited to launch our Line 9,” CEO Cedric Ballay said at a grand opening event in April. “This line is key to our continued growth trajectory and will continue writing our great success story here in Hazleton and around the world.”

The new line occupies half the expansion, or about 75,000 square feet, with another 75,000 square feet of space ready for growth.

PFNonwovens announced the expansion to its Hazleton site in late 2020. The new line, which is the first of a two-line investment, will allow the company to make revolutionary, cottony-soft hygiene products for the North American market, and also features bicomponent capability to produce biosourced and other specialty products and allow the company to expand its production of medical fabrics in Hazleton. The company is also adding Reicofil R5 technology at its site in Cape Town, South Africa, a $40 million investment. The new capacity is planned for the end of this year.

Brazilian nonwovens producer Fitesa has also invested in Reicoifil 5 spunmelt technology. In South Carolina, the company is adding a line at its site in Simpsonville that is expected to be complete this year. Executives describe the new machine as one-of-a-kind due to the unique versatility in producing differentiated materials for a wide range of applications and markets. One key feature is the capacity to convert bio and circular polymers into high quality and high productivity spunbond nonwovens.

The company also recently invested in a spunmelt line at its site in Cosmoplis, Brazil, and will be also adding a new multibeam Reicofil 5 line in Europe with start-up planned in the second quarter of 2023.

Also adding spunmelt capacity is Chinese nonwovens producer Uniquetex. The company will be adding two lines at its site in Grover, NC. The site was established in 2016 and is wholly owned by Foshan Nanhai Beautiful Nonwoven Co., Ltd., (BTF) one of China’s largest nonwoven textile businesses. One line is a 3.2-meter three-beam spunmelt line with a capacity of 8000 tons. This line is located in Uniquetex’s existing facility, where the company is operating two nonwoven lines—a 96-inch double-beam spunmelt line and a 126-inch spunmelt line. The second line will be housed in a new 50,000 square-foot facility, designed specifically for a 4.2-meter, 15,000-ton capacity Reifenhäuser Reicofil (RF3) SMMS line.

Uniquetex’s total footprint in Grover currently stands at 410,000 square-feet on 100 acres of land. With an investment totaling $31.6 million, the company plans to add an additional two line in the next five years, resulting in a site with six manufacturing lines. The two recently confirmed investments will bring the site’s output to 38,000 tons targeting the industrial, hygiene, healthcare, home furnishing and technical textiles markets.

According to the company, future investments could likely center around polyester and bico materials, dependent on customer commitments and the strength of the proposals it receives. The company is also examining vertical integration into finished products for medical and personal protective equipment.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, nonwovens producer Mogul added two new meltblown lines to its operations during the pandemic. The lines, which are both 160 cm wide and capable of making fabrics in the 15-100 gsm range, came onstream six months apart with one starting production in January 2021 and the other in June 2021. Both lines have electrostatic charging capabilities capable of making the N95 and higher efficiency masks as well as high efficiency filtration applications and other industrial applications.

In addition to meltblown, Mogul’s microfilament product Madaline can also be used in surgical and industrial face mask applications. Further, its wide range of spunlace offerings, both parallel laid and its stronger version cross-lapped, find numerous applications in medical and healthcare. Aqualace and Durell are used for gauze and wound care applications, while its polyester spunbond product is being used for blood filtration applications. For garment and sheet applications, Mogul’s SMS products can be used.

“During the pandemic era, there are many new PP spunbond, SMS or meltblown manufacturers coming on stage in this market, but as a diversified and committed player in this market, Mogul will keep serving customers in the  long term,” says Serkan Gögüs, CEO, Mogul. “We believe there will be a supply chain change after the pandemic and the EU and U.S. will try to have more supply domestically and surrounding countries. After the supply issues are faced during the pandemic, this will be beneficial for Mogul in the mid- and long-term.”

Another manufacturer adding meltblown production lines recently is KNH Enterprise of Taiwan, which invested in high-efficiency, lower-air-resistance meltblown, as well as microfiber production. The new capacity is estimated of an addition of 8000 tons a year.

Thanks to resilient and flexible properties, KNH’s high-efficiency meltblown fabric provides better protection and comfort for medical face masks. Meanwhile, the company’s new microfiber product features a super-thin fiber property and structure, applicable to PPE such as medical face masks, wipes, disposable medical gowns, protective apparel and scrubs suits.

Due to the impact of Covid-19, Glen Lin, head of Global ODEM for KNH, says that demand for disposable medical [products] has grown rapidly. “[They’re] more protective and avoid the risk of infection. Disposable medical products are considered very safe, so the demand has rapidly increased.”

In the long run, he says the medical market is promising, thanks to the aging population which is looking for better care and is already paying attention to their health.

Cardinal Health Offers New PPE Solutions

In the PPE category, Cardinal Health Apparel Solutions includes AAMI (PB70) Level 2-4 isolation gowns, AAMI Level 3 and 4 surgical gowns, chemotherapy gowns, headwear and footwear, lab apparel, facial protection and exam gloves.

“Cardinal Health Infection Control Apparel stays at the forefront of the regulatory environment, continuously evaluating and improving product offerings so customers can comply with industry best practices,” says Squeo.
The company’s newly developed ChemoPlus Chemotherapy Gowns and Sleeves are chemo-tested and meet AAMI Level 3 and help protect against exposure to 16 types of chemotherapy drugs during preparation, handling, administration and more — wherever therapy is delivered. This year, Cardinal health also reintroduced its AAMI Level 3 Isolation Gowns that allow clinicians to level up for greater protection. These gowns, along with the new ChemoPlus gowns, are made in North America for greater supply resiliency, according to Squeo.

Meanwhile, for healthcare professionals with sensitive skin, the company developed its new Sensitive Skin Surgical Mask portfolio, which was carefully designed for users with skin sensitivities and was dermatologically accredited by the Skin Health Alliance.

Essity Expands Wound Care Operations

In January, hygiene and health company Essity acquired the company Hydrofera, a company that offers technology and products within advanced wound care. The acquisition supports Essity’s strategic priority to grow through acquisitions in Medical Solutions. Essity also grew its Medical Solutions business through the acquisition of Swedish company ABIGO Medical in 2020.

The U.S. company Hydrofera was founded in 1996 and is a developer of Hydrofera Blue Antibacterial Wound Dressings, an advanced line of wound care products designed to shorten healing times, lower treatment costs, and deliver better patient outcomes. The company, which has about 90 employees, has its head office in Manchester, CT, and is present in more than 15 countries.

“The acquisition of Hydrofera is yet another great strategic fit for Essity further strengthening our innovation capacity and expanding our offering within advanced wound care. The company has innovations that significantly accelerate healing and reduce the patient’s discomfort,” says Ulrika Kolsrud, president Health and Medical Solutions at Essity.

Hydrofera has a direct sales force and maintains agreements and preferred provider status with the major national medical/surgical distributors and buying groups in the U.S. and Canadian healthcare markets. Products are used across the entire care range such as hospitals, wound clinics, long term care facilities and homecare. The suite of products is designed to meet requirements for a wide variety of wound care needs.

Paravir Develops Novel Anti-Microbial Solution for Nonwovens

Paravir Limited, a U.K.-based company, has developed a new innovative technology for the production of fabric with astonishing anti-microbial properties.

Recent testing at U.K. laboratories has confirmed the destruction of 99.99% of the microbial population in under 20 minutes. This represents a solution to a global problem with a low manufacturing cost.

Paravir developed the technology to manufacture a novel, IP-protected, composite material using readily available dry powders impregnated into off-the-shelf, nonwoven material. The technology goes well beyond any previous attempts to make anti-microbial fabric because it does not use a wet process for manufacture and thus can integrate much higher levels of anti-microbial agents. Most conventional materials do not have anti-microbial properties, so live, active pathogens can survive in the fabric even after disposal, according to the company.

Paravir was formed in 2020 as a result of a technology break through resulting in the ability to render off-the-shelf nonwovens, anti-microbial.  “Currently over 95% (estimate) of the nonwoven products used in surgery and general healthcare, have absolutely no anti-microbial properties at all,” says Timothy Laing, director, Paravir Limited. “They act as a barrier to microbes, but retain the bio-burden when disposed of. This is largely due to the complexity and cost of manufacturing anti-microbial products. Paravir set out to turn that on its head with a highly cost effective, and effective process for making nonwovens actively anti-microbial.”

Essentially, Paravir takes a standard off-the-shelf nonwoven, such as a layer that might be incorporated into a face mask, and impregnate it with a salt (a dry non-metallic powder) which is highly anti-microbial. 

The majority of anti-microbial fabrics use a coating process, where either silver, copper or zinc salts are coated onto the fabric using a wet process, according to Laing. “Whilst these are proven, this is a complex and expensive process,” he says. “It also introduces issues further down the road regarding disposability. The Paravir solution is completely harmless to humans, animals and marine life and can be disposed of in the normal waste channels. The additional cost of goods involved in the manufacturing process is negligible.”

Paravir believes its manufacturing process can produce as much as 500 meters of anti-microbial fabric per minute.

The product has potential applications in any healthcare modality requiring a disposable material with anti-microbial properties, particularly face masks, curtains, wound dressings, gowns, bed linen, and apparel for patients and staff.