China is one of the world’s major consumers of melt-blown nonwovens, with per capita consumption exceeding 1.5 kg. Although there is still a gap compared to developed countries in Europe and the United States, the growth rate is evident, indicating that there is further potential for the melt-blown nonwovens industry in China. Due to the high cost of purchasing equipment and high production and operating costs, the price of melt-blown products remains high. Additionally, insufficient understanding of product performance and applications has prevented the market from expanding, causing difficulties for related companies. Below is an analysis of the development trends in the melt-blown nonwovens industry.
Melt-blown nonwovens are considered the “heart” of medical surgical masks and N95 masks. According to industry analysis, there are fewer companies capable of providing high-quality melt-blown nonwovens for medical masks. Companies involved in melt-blown nonwovens are mainly concentrated in Jiangsu (23.53%), Zhejiang (13.73%), and Henan (11.76%) provinces, accounting for 49.02% of the national total. In contrast, Hubei Province, with 2,465 nonwoven fabric companies, accounts for only 4.03% of the national total.
China’s melt-blown nonwoven manufacturing includes both continuous and intermittent production lines. Continuous production lines mainly use imported melt-blown dies, while other components are assembled by the companies themselves. With the improvement of domestic manufacturing levels in recent years, domestically produced melt-blown dies have gradually gained more market share. The development trends of the melt-blown nonwovens industry are analyzed from five major application areas.
- Air Purification: Melt-blown nonwovens are used in air purifiers as high-efficiency and medium-efficiency air filters, offering low resistance, high strength, excellent acid and alkali resistance, corrosion resistance, stable efficiency, long service life, and low cost. The purified air does not contain short fibers from the filter material.
- Medical and Hygiene: Melt-blown fabrics used for dust masks offer low breathing resistance, are not stuffy, and have a dust filtration efficiency of up to 99%. They are widely used in hospitals, food processing, mining, and other workplaces requiring dust and bacterial protection. Specially treated melt-blown fabrics can be made into anti-inflammatory and analgesic membranes, offering good breathability, no toxic side effects, and ease of use. SMS products, which combine melt-blown fabrics with spunbond fabrics, are widely used in surgical gowns and other hygiene products.
- Liquid Filtration and Battery Separators: Polypropylene melt-blown fabrics are used to filter acidic and alkaline liquids and oils, with excellent performance. They are widely used in the battery industry as separator materials, reducing battery costs, simplifying processes, and significantly reducing battery weight and volume.
- Oil Absorption and Industrial Wipes: Various oil absorbing materials made from polypropylene melt-blown fabrics can absorb 14-15 times their weight in oil. They are widely used in environmental engineering, oil-water separation projects, and industrial production as cleaning materials for oil and dust, fully leveraging the characteristics of polypropylene and the adsorption properties of melt-blown ultrafine fibers.
- Insulation Materials: Melt-blown ultrafine fibers have an average diameter of 0.5 to 5 microns, a large specific surface area, and form numerous fine pores in the fabric, resulting in high porosity. This structure stores a large amount of air, effectively preventing heat loss and providing excellent insulation. They are widely used in the production of clothing and various insulation materials, such as leather jackets, ski jackets, thermal clothing, and cotton fabrics, offering light weight, warmth, moisture resistance, breathability, and mildew resistance.
In the fight against the epidemic, melt-blown nonwovens have demonstrated excellent protective and isolating functions, gaining renewed market recognition and favor, leading to a significant expansion. The market is continuously exploring new application scenarios for melt-blown nonwovens. After this epidemic, domestic and international attention to “filtration” and “purification” will be unprecedented, providing a broader development space for melt-blown fabrics.