Nonwovens to 2016

Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/05/2013 -- US demand for nonwovens is forecast to rise 5.6 percent per year to $7.4 billion in 2016, benefiting from an acceleration in area demand. In area terms, demand for nonwovens is expected to climb 2.2 percent per year to 34.3 billion square yards. Renewed economic growth, along with rising manufacturing output and rebounding construction activity, will provide opportunities for nonwovens. The best opportunities are in nondisposable applications such as roofing, house wrap, motor vehicles, and carpets and rugs. Further gains will be limited as the US represents a mature market for a number of disposable goods using nonwovens, including baby diapers. Competition from alternative materials will also prohibit nonwovens demand from expanding at a faster rate.

Disposable nonwovens to remain dominant market

Despite below average gains, disposable nonwovens markets will continue to account for nearly two-thirds of nonwoven demand through 2016. Consumer products will remain the largest disposable nonwoven market. Although growth will be restricted by below average advances in baby diaper and feminine hygiene markets, growth will be supported by gains in the adult incontinence market, which is buoyed by the aging US population. Demand in the filtration market will see the most rapid gains, as nonwovens continue to take market share from other materials such as paper and woven fabrics. Although the medical market for nonwovens is relatively mature, demand will benefit from the strengthening of surgical infection control safeguards, which will boost demand for single use nonwoven products.

Nondisposables to provide best growth opportunities

Nondisposables comprised 29 percent of nonwovens sales in 2011. Construction — the largest nondisposable market — will post above average gains, fueled by robust growth in residential construction, providing opportunities for nonwovens in house wraps. Carpets and rugs, and motor vehicles are also expected to achieve above average growth through 2016, partially due to an improvement in manufacturing output of these products as the US continues to recover from the 2007- 2009 recession. In addition, nonwovens in both of these outlets will benefit from increased market penetration at the expense of competing materials. In motor vehicles, nonwovens are finding greater use due to their ability to be made in lower basis weights without losing performance characteristics.

Spunmelt nonwovens to remain dominant segment

Spunmelt nonwovens (spunbonded and meltblown) will remain the largest product segment, accounting for nearly 60 percent of total value in 2016. Spunmelt owes its position to spunbonded’s widespread use in large markets such as baby diapers. Gains in spunbonded nonwovens will benefit from increased penetration of markets now served by competing nonwovens or other classes of materials. Meltblown nonwovens will benefit from greater use in the filtration market. However, further growth will be limited by meltblown’s relatively high cost, as well as performance disadvantages such as lower web strength when used as a single web structure. Carded nonwovens are the second largest product segment, accounting for roughly a quarter of total value in 2016. Spunlaced carded nonwovens will experience the best opportunities in markets such as personal care wipes and medical products, where consumer comfort is key.

Company Profiles

Profiles for US industry competitors such as DuPont, Freudenberg, Johns Manville, Kimberly-Clark, and Polymer Group

Additional Information

This study covers the US nonwoven fabrics industry, defined here to include materials made from fibers, filaments, and films, which are arranged into webs, batts, or sheets, then bonded together using mechanical, thermal, or chemical means. Nonwovens are categorized by the web formation process used to produce the material: spunmelt (spunbonded and meltblown), carded, wetlaid, and airlaid. The major markets for nonwoven fabrics are disposables (e.g., consumer, filtration, medical, and other) and nondisposables (e.g., geotextiles and construction, electrical and electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, carpets and rugs, and others). The disposables market segments are also known as short life markets since the products are designed for a single use or use over a very short period of time. The nondisposables market segments are also known as long life markets because the nonwovens used in them are designed for repeated or long term use, and, in some cases, laundering.

Totals for nonwovens presented in this study include captive production in downstream product manufacture, as well as goods sold on the merchant market. In addition, the study discusses environmental, regulatory, and other market environment factors. Nonwoven raw materials (e.g., fibers, resins, and additives) are also discussed.

Historical data for 2001, 2006, and 2011 and forecasts to 2016 and 2021 are provided for nonwoven fabric production (total) and demand (by web formation process and by market) in dollars. Total demand is also shown in millions of square yards and in pounds. The term “demand” refers to “apparent consumption” and is defined as production (also referred to as “output,” “shipments,” or “supply”) from indigenous nonwoven fabric manufacturing facilities plus imports minus exports. It is used interchangeably with the terms “market,” “sales,” and “consumption.”

Throughout the study, demand for nonwovens is related to various indicators for comparative purposes and to facilitate further analysis. The macroeconomic indicators used in this study were obtained from The Freedonia Group Consensus Forecasts dated August 2012. Due to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ use of chain-weighted price indices, inflation-adjusted Gross Domestic Product components (2005 dollars) may not add to the total. Tabular details may not add to totals due to independent rounding. Ratios are rounded to the nearest significant digit. Dollar values cited for the industry are at the basic manufacturer’s level.

Data on the US nonwovens industry were obtained from a variety of primary and secondary sources. Primary information on the industry was gathered through consultations with various personnel of participating companies, as well as from government sources and industry associations (e.g.,the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry and EDNA — the European Disposable and Nonwovens Association).

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