Protective Fabrics Market Trends

Protective Fabrics Market Overview

The global protective fabrics market is projected to register healthy growth during the forecast period, 2021–2030. The market was valued at USD 4,197.50 million in 2020 and is projected to register a CAGR of 7.33% to reach USD 8,283.07 million by the end of 2030.

Protective fabrics provide protection from harmful environments such as UV rays and materials and help avoid the risk of human injuries. These fabrics are also designed as per the requirement of several end use industries. It offers several excellent properties, including abrasion resistance, lightweight, chemical resistance, breathability, UV resistance, and fire and heat resistance. It is primarily used in the production of protective clothing such as pants, shirts, coveralls, and protective suits.

COVID-19 Impact on the protective fabrics  Market:

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a slightly negative impact on the global protective fabrics market due to the disruptions in the supply chain and the non-availability of labor to carry out the production activities. Limited or full-fledged lockdown strategies were implemented across the world to contain the spread of the virus. During the initial phases, these lockdowns severely led to a significant drop in global industrial production. According to the World Bank’s January 2021 Global Economic Prospects report estimations, the real gross domestic product of the world contracted by around 3.5% in 2020. Similarly, major economies across the world, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and India, have reported negative growth of their respective economies.

Some of the key end consumers of protective fabrics include oil & gas, healthcare, law enforcement & military, building & construction, and other industries. Several end-use industries experienced a significant decline primarily due to a fall in demand and the closure of production facilities. Moreover, economic contraction among major economies coupled with the rising unemployment levels has resulted in a short to medium-term decline in demand for various types of chemicals, automobiles, consumer goods, and electrical equipment. As a result, a considerable number of players in these respective industries have scaled back their future expansion plans anticipating the decline in demand.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Growing adoption of various industrial safety norms and regulations: The progressive adoption of various industrial safety norms and regulations is anticipated to drive the demand for various types of personal protective equipment and protective clothing articles made up of protective fabrics such as coveralls, flame-resistant suits, protective gloves, and shoes. Thus, the growing focus on industrial safety across the world is expected to drive the growth of the global protective fabrics market during the forecast period.

Restraints

• High costs associated with protective fabrics: Protective fabrics are highly priced due to their high raw material costs and labor-intensive production processes. The raw materials used to produce protective fabrics include aramid, PBI (polybenzimidazole), polyester, polyolefins, cotton fiber, and polyamide. A typical FR treated cotton coverall or shirt & pant set costs around USD 80 to 90 dollars per set. On the other hand, FR Meta-Aramid coverall or shirt & pant set costs anywhere between USD 120 to 150 dollars per set. As a result, the cost for arc-rated protective fabrics goes up proportionately with each increase in exposure rating.

Opportunity

• Potential adoption of phase change materials: Scientists are exploring various avenues to incorporate PCMs into protective clothing apparel to improve their flame resistance and reduce the chances of burn injuries. According to a 2017 study conducted by Mengmeng Zhao, a researcher at the University of Akron, the incorporation of PCMs in the multi-layered fabrics of the firefighter protective clothing ensemble significantly improved their thermal protection ability and reduced the chances of second-degree burns. Thus, the use of PCMs in the production of protective clothing is expected to revolutionize the global protective fabrics market and provide a significant boost to product penetration during the forecast period.

Trends

• Trending lightweight non-woven fabrics and nanofibers: As the global textile industry is growing, the demand for protective fabrics is growing. The demand to protect workers, buildings, and critical processes has pushed manufacturers to innovate products that offer lightweight and comfortable materials during the assessment period. Non-woven fabrics and electrospun nanofibers are several types of fabrics that play a crucial role in making lightweight protective clothing. Hence, increasing demand for lightweight and comfortable protective clothing is anticipated to fuel the product demand over the forthcoming years.

Recent News

DuPont introduced a new disposable coverall in 2023 that offers gigafactory, automotive, and chemical industrial workers the best possible protection and comfort. When producing EV batteries and in other manufacturing settings, DuPont (trademarked) Tyvek (registered trademark) 400 Dual TG offers a head-to-toe frontal protection against hazardous chemicals. Additionally, the clothing improves breathability, which makes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout lengthy hours more comfortable for workers.

By 2023, Nonwovens have been a part of the healthcare industry for decades, even though many people first heard the term "nonwoven" in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when nonwoven materials like meltblown and spunmelt were in extremely high demand due to their protective properties.

TenCate Protective Fabrics unveiled Tecasafe® 360+, an intrinsically flame-resistant stretch fabric, as its newest invention in 2023. By fusing the protection of flame-resistant (FR) textiles with the wearability and comfort of built-in stretch technology, Tecasafe® 360+ offers the next generation in workwear, building on the trusted reputation of a wide array of protective products.

Viral Shield is a line of COVID-19 Anti-Viral, Reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Masks, and Protective Fashion Wear that Loyal Textile Mills Limited introduced in 2020. In partnership with HeiQ from Switzerland and Reliance Industries India, the series has been launched. This personal protective equipment (PPE) is the first in the world to pass the SBPR, viral penetration, and synthetic blood penetration tests.

Segmentation

By Material

• Aramid


• Polyolefin


• Polyamide


• Cotton


• Polybenzimidazole (pbi)


• Polyesters


• Others

By Type

• Ballistic & Mechanical Resistant


• Thermal, Fire- and Heat-Resistant Fabrics


• Chemical-Resistant Fabrics


• UV-Resistant Fabrics


• Others

By End Use Industry

• Building & construction


• Oil & gas


• Healthcare


• Law enforcement & military


• Others

By Region

• North America


• Europe


• Asia-Pacific


• Latin America


• Middle East & Africa

Regional Analysis

The global protective fabrics market has been studied across five regions: North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific market accounted for the second-largest share in 2020 and is projected to record a CAGR of 8.11% during the review period. The market growth can be attributed to the growing urbanization and increasing industrialization, especially in the medical and waste management sector in the developing economies of Asia-Pacific, particularly in China, Japan, and the southeast Asian nations. China is the leading producer and consumer of protective fabrics in Asia-Pacific of the regional market in 2020. The growing medical base and population in China is the prime factor propelling the market growth.

The North America dominated the global Protective Fabrics market with a value share of 34.06% in 2020 and is projected to register the highest CAGR of 6.88%. The established presence of military and healthcare manufacturers in the region is the prime factor propelling the growth of the protective fabrics market in North America.

The market in Europe is primarily driven by the strong demand for protective fabrics for flame, fire and heat resistance, and thermal applications. Germany accounted for the largest share in Europe in 2020 and was followed by France. The markets in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are likely to be driven by the increasing industrialization in the regions and the rising per capita disposable income of the consumers.

Competitive Landscape

The global protective fabrics market is characterized by the presence of many global, regional, and local players. The market is highly competitive, with all the players competing to gain maximum market share. High demand in the oil & gas and petrochemical industry and several advantages offered by protective fabrics are the key factors influencing global market growth. The vendors compete based on cost, brand identity, product quality, and availability and reliability of the products. It is crucial for vendors to provide cost-effective and high-quality products that adhere to the requirements of the end-use to compete in the market. To establish their market position, the key players are expanding their production bases.

Key players in the global protective fabrics market include 3M (US), DuPont (US), Lakeland Inc (US), Glen Raven Inc.(US), Milliken & Company (US), Klopman International (Italy), Concordia Textiles (Belgium), W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH (US), TenCate Protective Fabrics (The Netherlands), TEIJIN LIMITED (Japan), Carrington Textiles Ltd.(UK), Daletec (Norway), Marina Textil  (Spain), Sarena (Pakistan), PBI Performance Products, Inc.(US), and Cetriko(Spain).

Some of the key developments include:

• In October 2021,Teijin Limited announced its carbon fiber subsidiary Renegade Materials Corporation, a leading US-based supplier of highly heat resistant thermoset prepregs, resins, and adhesives for the aerospace industry, will expand its prepreg production by 2.5 times. Operation of the new production lines will commence in January 2022.


• In February 2021, DuPont acquired Core Matrix Technology from Tex Tech. This acquisition of patented technology adds to the company's portfolio of life protection solutions.


• In April 2023, DuPont announced the launch of its new Tyvek® Xpert FR fabric, which is designed to provide superior flame resistance and thermal protection.


• In May 2023, 3M released its new 3M™ Scotchgard™ Fire Resistant Fabrics, which are designed to provide protection against flames, heat, and sparks.


• In June 2023, Honeywell announced the expansion of its Nomex® fabric production capacity in China.


• In July 2023, Lakeland Industries announced the launch of its new line of protective fabrics for the healthcare industry.

Report Overview:

The Protective Fabrics market is segmented by material, type, end use and region in the report. In terms of insights, this report has focused on various levels of analysis such as market dynamics, value chain analysis, Porter's five forces, competitive landscape, and company profiles—all of which comprise and discuss views on the global protective fabrics  emerging and fast-growing segments, regions, and countries.

Objectives of the Study

• To get a comprehensive overview of the global Protective Fabrics market


• To get wide-ranging information about the key factors driving the market and market opportunities


• To gain information regarding the key players in the industry, their product portfolio, strategies, and key developments


• To gain insights about the key country/region in which the market is growing

Intended Audience

• Industrial sector


• Broadcast sector


• Enterprise sector


• digital communication


• Textile industries

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