In the protective clothing market, non-woven fabrics continue to play an important role in providing comfort, air permeability, high tensile strength, fire resistance and water resistance. Non woven fabrics form a barrier layer to protect medical professionals who may be exposed to blood borne pathogens, as well as trained professionals who may be at risk of chemical exposure, or on-site emergency personnel who are exposed to hazardous materials and the environment.
The occupational safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is subordinate to the U.S. Department of labor, defines personal protective equipment (commonly known as PPE) as equipment to minimize serious workplace injuries and disease hazards caused by exposure, including chemical, radioactive, physical and other workplace hazards. Non woven fabrics can help clothing manufacturers meet these protection needs.
According to a recent report from markets and markets, the global market for protective clothing last year was US $7.33 billion and is expected to reach a compound growth rate of 6.3% by 2021. During this period, the researchers predict that the medical market will become the end product industry with the fastest growth of radiation and care clothing. Growth drivers for this market include increased awareness of personal safety and government regulations to improve worker safety.
Serkan gogus, chief executive of mogul, a non-woven fabric producer in Turkey, said new environmental regulations were driving growth and that new requirements for PPE were also driving the market.
For protective clothing, magul's latest Madaline can be used for surgical gowns. In addition to providing comfort, gogus said, the material's properties provide good barrier resistance to microorganisms, as well as blood and alcohol resistance. At the same time, it can also be used as a protective clothing with excellent performance in industrial environment.
Madaline is a mixed microfilament medium. Through patented two-component technology, it extrudes unique filament design, and then undergoes high-pressure water jet to make it into fiber, tangle and consolidate microfilament into non-woven fabric. Similar to the melt blown method with spunbond strength, Madaline's microfilament is 100 times thinner than human hair. The fabric can provide good moisture management, moisture absorption, air permeability, and has the properties of heat insulation, wind resistance and UV protection.
'The microporous structure and barrier provided by the fabric make it an ideal choice for this application.' Gogus said.
Innovative non-woven fabric
Norafin is a non-woven manufacturer specializing in the production of protective equipment, filter media and composite materials, providing materials for manufacturers of firemen's uniforms and overalls used in hazardous environments.
Recently, the German manufacturer has developed a series of durable spunlaced nonwovens that can meet the market demand for lightweight, reusable, high-strength and breathable fabrics and provide better isolation performance. Unique spunlace technology provides many product advantages, such as small weight deviation, excellent mesh uniformity and structured appearance.
According to Kerstin Knorr, marketing manager of norafin industries, in addition to these attributes, the company's latest product line also offers better washing shrinkage and the best ratio between thermal performance, weight and comfort. In addition, the company has developed special materials that can withstand high wear and 100 washes, and the fabrics still provide the expected protection.
Andy schuffenhauer, norafin's R & D project manager, said the spunlace is often used as a thermal lining or moisture barrier in firefighter uniforms, which accounts for 70-75% of the thermal protection performance (TPP) of protective equipment. 'The TPP rating of the product has been improved by 10-12% compared to other competitive materials on the market due to the special texture used in the fabric and the surface of the spunlaced fabric,' he explained. 'Thanks to the superior mesh forming uniformity and its exclusive surface and texture, the overall weight of the final garment can be reduced, thus improving comfort.'
In order to develop this market, norafin recently confirmed an expansion plan to build its first North American manufacturing plant. Norafin (America) Inc., located in Henderson County, North Carolina, will build 75000 square feet of buildings on the mills river with an investment of $18 million. Knorr said the new plant will supply the North American protective clothing market, which will help the company better serve existing customers, expand new markets and provide a solid platform for sustainable future development. Operations are expected to begin by the end of the year.
For many years, Freudenberg Co. Ltd. (FPM) has been developing comfortable thermal insulation materials. Through the use of high-tech insulation layer, the comfort and high thermal insulation performance are combined.
Dr. Frank heislitz, CTO, cordebo materials, said: 'they offer excellent protection against cold environments, while providing the best comfort and ease of processing.'
FPM comfort fabric comfort air is designed with a large number of non-woven thermal insulation materials for high durability, excellent thermal insulation and excellent wearing comfort. In 2013, heislitz said the company's comfort EMP air fabric has been successfully tested for Russian customers in an environment of - 40 ° C. 'Tests have shown that the material can fully meet the requirements of this extreme condition, thanks to its multi-layer structure,' he continued.
The durability of the material made of 90% RPET fiber was proved by repeated washing at 60 ° C without agglomeration.
Meanwhile, the comfortemp protect series of FPM is a kind of non-woven fabric with high performance of flame retardant and heat insulation, which can improve the heat and fire resistance of cold proof work clothes. According to heislitz, due to the use of low burn fiber mixture, it can prevent the spread of flame and the spread of combustion debris, while the material has excellent heat insulation, soft hand feel and processability, as well as the durability of repeated washing,
Comfort protect materials can be used in utilities, electrical maintenance, oil and gas, and other work clothes where personnel may be exposed to the risk of accidental fire.
'Customers are looking for work clothes that provide high protection to their employees, while also providing excellent comfort,' heislitz said 'High quality materials and new clothing designs increase the freedom of movement of protective clothing, which is an important factor in the growth of protective clothing market.'