Spunbond Nonwoven Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Polypropylene, Polyester, Polyethylene), By Product (Disposable, Durable), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The global spunbond nonwoven market size was estimated at USD 13.88 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing birth rate and rising awareness about the benefits of the use of baby diapers expected to drive market growth.

Increase in use of spunbond nonwovens for geotextiles is expected to have a positive impact on the demand. Growing number of transportation infrastructure planners, builders, and engineers, are adopting geotextiles as durable material for highways, roads, railways, and foundations. Geotextiles are gaining demand in new applications such as mining, oil drilling sites, shale gas, providing further opportunities.

The market in China is expected to exhibit high growth on account of the rapid development of application industries. The market exhibits high production volumes of pharmaceutical and textile products thereby accounting for high product consumption. The presence of a robust textile industry in the region is expected to emerge as one of the prominent growth drivers for the market.

Several regulations have been enforced for the production of and use of spunbond nonwoven in various application industries. Use of spunbond nonwovens for food packaging application is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, FDA and European counsel have also approved the use of spunbond nonwovens in medical and healthcare applications.

Spunbond is the second largest process used for the processing of sustainable nonwovens, due to cost-effectiveness and high performance. Spunbond process yields higher output at comparatively lower costs. Due to lack sustainability in wet-laid process, many companies are replacing wet-laid process with spunbond process.

However, frequent fluctuations in raw material prices may hamper the growth of the spunbond nonwoven market. Polymers are an important raw material for the production of spunbond nonwovens. Polypropylene is the most widely used polymer, accounting for more than 50% of the total raw material share. Prices of polymers generally follow oil prices. Hence, any movement can result into volatility of oil prices, which in turn affects polymer prices.

Material Insights

Polypropylene contributed the largest market share in 2019 and accounted for 58% in terms of revenue in 2019. The demand for polypropylene spunbond nonwovens is driven by its increasing use in baby diapers, sanitary napkins, and adult incontinence products owing to the burgeoning birth rate, increasing aging population, and increased awareness about menstrual hygiene in developing countries.

Though polyester offers many advantages over polypropylene, it is more expensive. Though tensile strength, modulus, heat stability of polyester fabrics is greater than that of polypropylene fabrics, polyester scrap cannot be easily recycled in spunbond manufacturing. Polyester is the most used polymer for bi-component spunbond nonwovens due to its increasing strength and soft texture it provides to spunbond nonwoven fabrics.

Polyethylene-based spunbond nonwovens are estimated to account for 524.1 kilotons in 2019, as it exhibits outstanding physical characteristics that are considered safe and useful for number of applications. Polyethylene is becoming increasingly important raw material for spunbond nonwovens due to its low melting point for processing and softer feel in nonwoven products.

Other raw materials used in the production of spunbond nonwoven are polyamides, including nylon-6 and nylon-6,6, and polyurethane. Nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 spunbond nonwovens are highly energy-intensive and expensive than polypropylene and polyester. Polyurethane and types of rayons are also used successfully to process spunbond nonwovens.

Product Insights

Disposable spunbond nonwovens accounted for the largest market share of over 65% in terms of revenue and are expected to reach USD 16.3 billion by 2027, on account of its use in diverse applications, ranging from personal hygiene products such as diapers, sanitary napkins, medical products such as surgical gowns and masks, drapes, bandages, wipes, towels, bibs, and consumer products.

Disposable spunbond nowoven can be used in large number of applications. These are especially produced for one-time use, but in some exceptional cases such as dust clothes or reusable wipes, it may be used laundered and reused a few times before it is disposed. A disposable absorbent is made up of absorbent material and degradable polymer comprising of aliphatic polyester.

Durable spunbond nonwovens are expected to witness a revenue-based CAGR of 5.7% from 2020 to 2027, which can be attributed to its enhanced properties like lighter weight, more breathable, and superior tear as compared to traditional material. These are used in wide range of applications, including household products and home furnishings, geotextiles, roofing products, insulation and packaging materials.

Durable spunbond nonwovens are long-lasting engineered fabrics. These are most commonly referred to as long-life spunbond nonwovens. Durable spunbond nonwovens may or may not be launderable. Durable spunbond nonwovens also include semi-disposable nonwovens, which are frequently used in filtration applications, household products and home furnishings, such as

Application Insights

Personal care and hygiene held the largest revenue share of over 55% in 2019 and is expected to witness the fastest CAGR, owing to the due burgeoning demand for baby diapers, feminine care products, and adult incontinence products. The demand is increasing owing to the high birth rate, increasing awareness about menstrual hygiene, and increasing aging population.

Spunbond nonwovens are extensively used in medical and healthcare applications to provide decent protection against biological agents. They have replaced many traditional materials in medical and healthcare sector. They are widely used in medical and healthcare applications on the account of excellent properties they offer such as breathability, resistance to fluid penetration, sterilizability, and impermeability to bacteria.

Demand for spunbond nonwovens for geotextiles is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 7.0% in terms of revenue over the projected period, owing to the superior properties and cost savings. Increasing number of infrastructure projects in emerging economies have boosted the use of geotextiles, which is consequently driving the market growth.

Other applications include industries including filtration, automotive, printing and packaging, textiles, and others. Spunbond nonwovens are used in various filtration applications such as pool and spa filtration, beverage filtration, air filtration, and others. The product demand for filtration application is growing as spunbond nonwovens continue to replace traditional technology due to increasing consumer interest in clean drinking water and clean air.

Regional Insights

The market in North America held the largest revenue share of around 20% in 2019, and is expected to expand at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to rise in product demand for diapers and feminine care products. Rise in use of adult continence products due to increasing geriatric population has a positive impact on industry growth.

The product demand in Europe is dominated by hygiene applications and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Increasing aging population and rising occurrence of chronic diseases in the region has resulted in the demand for medical and adult incontinence products in the region; which in turn is likely to have a positive impact on the market growth.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness fastest CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period, owing to high birth rate in China and India, as well as high geriatric population in Japan. In addition, the region is expected to witness high product demand production of automotive interior materials.

The demand for spunbond nonwovens in Central and South America is likely to witness significant growth over the projected period owing to the rising demand from medical, hygiene, and automotive industry. High consumer awareness regarding health, hygiene, and safety is expected to have a positive impact on the market growth over the forecast period.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market has been witnessing an increasing trend of organic and inorganic growth through expansion and mergers and acquisitions. The companies are trying to increase their sales through acquisition, investment, and innovation. The companies are expanding their capacities to facilitate the respective markets. The market is competitive due to the presence of major companies involved in the product manufacture. The market is characterized by the presence of a significant consumer base across the globe with the companies operating their business through dedicated distribution networks. Some of the prominent players in the spunbond nonwovens market are:

• Freudenberg Group

• DuPont

• Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj

• Kimberly-Clark Corporation

• Berry Global Group, Inc.

• FITESA

• Johns Manville Corporation

• Toray Industries

• Indorama Ventures

• Pegas Nonwovens S.A.

• Akitieselskabet Schouw & Co.

• Asahi Kasai Corporation

• Mitsui Chemicals

Spunbond Nonwoven Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts volume and revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global spunbond nonwovens market report on the basis of material, product, application, and region:

• Material Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Polypropylene

  • Polyester

  • Polyethylene

  • Others

• Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Disposable

  • Durable

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Personal Care & Hygiene

  • Medical & Healthcare

  • Geotextiles

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa