Technical Textiles & Nonwovens: Product Applications Trends

World and IndiaWorld and India

Seshadri RamkumarNonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory

Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX, USA

s.ramkumar@ttu.edu

Technotex, January 17-19, 2013, New Delhi, India

Overview

• Growth Statistics

• Nonwoven Processes

• Examples of Nonwoven Products

Nonwovens Growth Prospects

• Grew by 5.7% in 2011 in volume terms.

• Spunmelt recorded growth of over 9% in 2010 and • Spunmelt recorded growth of over 9% in 2010 and 2011.

• Spunlace is the important drylaid technology.

Source: EDANA, July, 12, 2012

Nonwovens Growth Prospects

Markets that recorded growth include baby diaper, medical, personal care wipes, civil engineering, automobiles and agriculture engineering, automobiles and agriculture applications.

Growth in 2010: 10.9%

Growth in 2011: 5.7%

Source: EDANA, July, 12, 2012

Outlook for Worldwide Nonwovens Production (millions of tonnes)

2006 2011 2016Growth Rate

2006-2011 (%/Year)

Growth Rate2011-2016

(%/Year)

NAFTA 1.61 1.87 2.2 3.00% 3.30%

Source: INDA Estimates & Rory Holmes, INDA-CAB Conference 2012 (www.inda.org)

Europe 1.56 1.95 2.6 4.60% 5.90%

China 0.97 1.65 2.82 10.50% 12.00%

Other Asia Pacific

0.51 0.59 0.78 3.00% 5.70%

Japan 0.33 0.33 0.35 0.00% 1.20%

Middle East 0.26 0.32 0.45 3.60% 7.70%

Rest of World

0.44 0.9 1.88 16.60% 14.60%

TOTAL 5.68 7.61 11.08 6.00% 7.80%

Outlook for Worldwide Nonwovens Production

1997 2002 2011 2016

Growth Rate

1997-2010

(%/Year)

Growth Rate

2011-2016

(%/Year)

Source: INDA Estimates & Rory Holmes, INDA-CAB Conference 2012 (www.inda.org)

Dollars

(billions)$11 $15 $26 $37 6.2% 7.8%

Sq Meters

(billions)61 93 205 305 8.7% 9.0%

Tonnes

(millions)2.7 4.0 7.6 11.1 7.7% 7.8%

Summary of 2011 NA Disposable Market 1,091,000

(tonnes)

Source: INDA Estimates & Rory Holmes, INDA-CAB Conference 2012 (www.inda.org)

Summary of 2011 European Disposable Market

1,096,200 (tonnes)

Source: INDA Estimates & Rory Holmes, INDA-CAB Conference 2012 (www.inda.org)

2011 Asian Nonwovens Market 2.6 million tonnes

Source: ANFA Estimates & Rory Holmes, INDA-CAB Conference 2012 (www.inda.org)

Nonwoven Consumption Per Capita

(kilograms)

Mexico

China

South America

Brazil

S. Africa

Russia

India

Early Development Markets

Emerging Markets

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Taiwan

Korea

NAFTA

Europe -27

Australia

Japan

Malaysia

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Developed Markets

High export volumes

Source: INDA Estimates, Ian Butler, INTC-2008

Nonwoven Consumption Rises as GDP Per Capita Increases *

Kg/Capita

3

3.5

4

4.5

Europe NAFTA

Taiwan

Trend line

Source: INDA Estimates, Ian Butler, INTC-2008

* PPP in US$ equivalents

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000

Czech Rep.

Korea

Brazil

Turkey

Japan

India now

China now

India, 2012

Consumption Of Nonwovens/TT in India Vs. GDP Per Capita

(Assuming An Increase Of 13.27% In Per Capita Every Year)

YEAR GDP PER CAPITA (US$) CONSUMPTION OF NONWOVENS/TT (kg)

2005 733 0.08

2010 1374 0.15

GDP per capita source: World Bank

2015 2563 0.27

2020 4780 0.51

2025 8912 0.95

2030 16618 1.77

2035 30985 3.31

2040 57773 6.16

2045 107720 11.49

2050 200850 21.43

Consumption Of Nonwovens/TT in USA vs. GDP Per Capita

(Assuming An Increase Of 4.6% In Per Capita Every Year)

YEAR GDP PER CAPITA (US$) CONSUMPTION OF NONWOVENS/TT (kg)

2005 42499 3.5

2010 52435 4.322010 52435 4.32

2015 65656 5.41

2020 82213 6.77

2025 102943 8.48

2030 128901 10.62

2035 161404 13.29

2040 202103 16.64

2045 264705 20.84

2050 331452 26.10

GDP per capita source: World Bank

India vs. USA Per Capita Nonwoven/TT Consumption (2005-2050)

GDP per capita source: World Bank

General Definition of Nonwoven Fabrics

Nonwoven fabrics are flat structures mainly defined as sheets or webs made by bonding and entangling fibers or filaments by mechanical, thermal or chemical means.chemical means.

- Mahmud and Ramkumar, Man-Made Textiles in India, September 2001

Nonwoven Process

Nonwoven process consists of three major steps:

1) Fiber feeding1) Fiber feeding

2) Web/matt formation

3) Web consolidation/interlocking

Nonwoven Processes

Source: TAPPI & Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

Major Nonwoven Technologies

• Needlepunching

• Thermalbonding

• Airlaid

• Spunbonding

• Meltblowing

• Spunlacing/Hydroentanglement

Nonwoven Technologies(Based on Fiber Type)

Spunbond – Synthetic

Meltblown – Synthetic

Needlepunching – Versatile (natural and synthetic)

Hydroentangling – Versatile (natural and synthetic)

Typical Applications of Nonwovens

• Technical applications• Hospital fabrics• Surgical gowns• Face masks• Geo textiles• Geo textiles• Consumer and industrial wipes• Upholstery paddings• Military decontamination wipes• Inner liners of protective fabrics• Automotive headliners• Automotive trunkliners• Acoustic and thermal insulation materials

Technology and End-use Applications

• Spunbonding – surgical gowns, diaper cover stocks

• Meltbowning – barriers, filters and face masks

• Needlepunching – geotextiles, automotive fabrics• Needlepunching – geotextiles, automotive fabrics

• Thermalbonding – upholstering, cussion pads

• Hydroentangling – wipes

Melt Blowing Process

• Uses a high-velocity stream of air to force the filaments away from the

spinneret face.

• Fibers are attenuated by air-stream to a degree of fineness much

Source: Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

smaller than typical extruded textile fibers.

• Fibers (typically 1-5 microns) are deposited onto a condenser/conveyer

belt and bonded before take-up.

• Makes a web with very fine pore-structure and large surface area.

• Suitable for absorption and filtration applications.

Melt Blown Webs

• Fiber Diameter (2-5 µm)

• Uniformity

• Air permeability/Hydrohead

Source: Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

• Air permeability/Hydrohead

• Filtration efficiency

• Porosity, pore size & Distribution

• Mechanical Properties

• Composite structures

Spunbond NonwovensSpunbond Nonwovens

Spunbonding Process

• Integrated process.

• Production rate: 30 to 300 m2 /min.

• Filament production speed: 1000-6000 m/min being • Filament production speed: 1000-6000 m/min being

operated.

• Isotactic polypropylene has been used predominantly in

commercial production.

• Other Polymers Used: Polyesters, Nylons, PE and

Bicomponents.

Source: Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

Spunbonded Fabrics• Random fibrous structure.

• Basis weights range between 5 and 800 g/m2, typically 10-100

g/ m2.

• Web thickness range between 0.1 and 4.0mm, typically 0.2-• Web thickness range between 0.1 and 4.0mm, typically 0.2-

1.5mm.

• Fiber diameters range between 1 and 50µm, but the preferred

range is between 15 and 30µm.

• High strength-to-weight ratios compared to other nonwoven

and knitted structures.

• High tear strength. Source: Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

Spunbonding Process Variables

• Spinning• Melt Temperature

• Throughput

• Quench Air Temp

• Bonding• Type

• Bond Area

• Temperature

Source: Gajanan Bhat, University of Tennessee

• Quench Air Temp

• Draw Down Speed

• Laydown• Spinning Speed/Belt

Speed

• Temperature

• Time (Speed)

• Pressure

Spunlace NonwovensSpunlace Nonwovens

Spunlace Nonwovens

• Spunlace is an industrial terminology for nonwoven fabrics made by interlocking using high pressure jets of water.

• Pre-wetting pressure – 20 to100 bars.

Maximum operating pressure – 250 bars.

• Spunlace are predominantly used as wipes.

Examples of Nonwoven End ProductsExamples of Nonwoven End Products

Nonwovens in Automobiles: A Glimpse

of Value-Added Application

Source: Cos Camelio, Association of Nonwoven Fabric Industry, USA

Diaper

Cover Stock is Spunbond ~ 10GSM

Spunlace Wet Wipes

Moistened Hand Wipes

Majority of moistened wipes are Spunlace

Insulation High Lofts

Awareness on the Technical Textiles Technical Textiles Converted Sector

Converted Products are Necessary