Abstract
US demand to grow nearly 4% annually through 2011
US demand for nonwoven roll goods is projected to increase 3.9 percent per
year to $5.6 billion in 2011, driven by healthy gains in key markets such as
filtration, construction, wipes and adult incontinence. Further growth will
derive from increased market penetration in many applications, including
industrial wipes and roofing membranes, as new technologies improve the
functionality of nonwoven materials. However, gains will be limited by intense
price competition in consumer markets, as converted product manufacturers seek
to cut costs by reducing the amount of nonwoven material in their products.
Spunbonded nonwovens to remain dominant product
Spunbonded nonwovens will remain the dominant product, accounting for roughly
half of total volume in 2011, owing to their position as the material of
choice in major markets such as baby diapers. Gains in spunbonded nonwovens
will be driven by performance advantages, the development of new applications,
and increasing demand for the composite nonwovens featuring spunbonded webs.
Although carded and wet laid nonwovens are expected to register the slowest
gains, certain segments of these product types will have more favorable
prospects. For example, robust demand for carded spunlaced nonwovens will be
driven by expanding opportunities in consumer and industrial wipes, and wet
laid glass fiber materials will benefit from growing demand in applications
such as roofing and battery separators.
Study coverage
It presents historical data plus forecasts to 2011 and 2016 in current dollars
by product and market (disposable and nondisposable). In addition, market
share is provided for leading nonwoven suppliers, along with an overview of
competitive strategies, recent merger and acquisition activity, and profiles
of 38 US industry producers.