The market for medical nonwovens was worth $1.6 billion in 2013 and will reach $2 billion in 2018 on increased demand for wound care, adult incontinence and healthcare wipes, according to a report recently issued by research firm Smithers Apex. According to the UK-based research firm, nonwovens are favored in medical applications because they demonstrate reduced cost to use in highly cost-sensitive hospital and institutional environments. Similarly, they routinely outperform textile and fluff pulp-based products in comfort, barrier properties, absorbency and resistance to contamination. This should lead to continuing replacement of reusable medical fabrics by disposable, nonwovens-based fabrics around the world.

The largest sector of traditional nonwoven medical products is surgical gowns, drapes and instrument wraps, and both reusable and disposable variants are used in different regions around the world. In North America, more than 90% of these materials are disposable while the European rate currently stands at 70-75%. The remainder of the world is varied, with one commonality: disposables continue to gain share over reusables. Particularly in developing markets lik