Antimicrobial Textiles Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Antimicrobial Textiles Market Overview

The antimicrobial textiles market size is forecast to reach US$15.2 billion by 2027 after growing at a CAGR of 5.8% during 2022-2027. Antimicrobial textiles are high-performance textiles comprising various types of fabrics such as cotton, acrylic fiber, polyethylene, among others. Antimicrobial textiles are massively used for several medical textiles applications that include protective gowns, masks, gloves, beddings, bandages, and many more. The demand for medical textile applications globally is booming with increasing demand for maintaining high standards of hygiene and a bacteria-free environment and this will drive the growth of the market. For instance, as per the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection in the US and this is driving the demand for more antimicrobial protective clothing. Furthermore, antimicrobial textiles are widely used in the apparel applications such as sportswear, footwear, baby clothes, and many others. The demand for apparel applications is expanding globally owing to the increasing awareness about skin infections caused because of low-grade fabrics and this will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. For instance, Italian shirt manufacturing brand Apposta introduced its new antiviral shirt fabric in 2020 that offers resistance to viruses and bacteria, including Covid-19. The pad-dry cure will witness the highest demand in the forecast period. Electrospinning is projected to have significant demand in the forecast period. The price fluctuation in raw materials might hinder the market’s growth in the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the antimicrobial textiles market. The market witnessed increased R&D activities and growth owing to the high demand for antimicrobial textiles applications from the healthcare sector. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the requirement of masks and protective clothing to enhance the safety level against the virus. The market players changed their work patterns during the pandemic to keep their businesses afloat and provide services to their clients. For instance, as per the March 2020 report, BioCote Limited, a market leader in antimicrobial technology suppliers, kept its technical and operational team active during the pandemic to ensure that orders were processed and delivered on time. Going forward, the market will witness robust growth owing to the boost in the demand for antimicrobial textiles in the healthcare sector and apparel applications.

Report Coverage

The report: “Antimicrobial Textiles Market Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Antimicrobial Textiles Industry. 

By Active Agents: Synthetic Organic Compounds, Metal and Metallic Salts, Bio Based, Others
By Fabric: Cotton, Polyester, Polyamide, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Others
By Finishing Techniques: Pad-Dry Cure, Exhaust, Coating, Spray, Electrospinning, Others
By Application: Medical Textiles, Surgical Clothing, Gowns, Masks, Surgical Drapes, Bedding, Clothing, Uniforms, Protective Clothing, Incontinence Sheet, Cover Stock, Outer Layer, Wound Dressing and Bandages, Plasters, Orthopaedic, Military Textiles, Automotive Textiles, Apparel Textiles, Sportswear, Footwear, Winterwear, Food Packaging, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Others
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Rest of Asia Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Rest of South America), and RoW (Middle East and Africa)

Key Takeaways:

• Polyester is leading the antimicrobial textiles market. The easy availability and its quality to be blended with multiple fibers make it a desirable choice in the market.
• Medical textiles applications will drive the growth of the market. For instance, as per the June 2020 report, Thailand-based Indorama Ventures supplied 1000 antimicrobial face masks to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) staff.
• The North American region will witness the highest demand for antimicrobial textiles in the forecast period owing to the expanding antimicrobial textile portfolio in the region. For instance, US-based Milliken & Company, which deals with protective textile materials, launched its new antimicrobial fabric made with 65% polyester and 35% cotton in 2020.

Figure: North American Antimicrobial Textiles Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

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Antimicrobial Textiles Market - By Active Agents

Synthetic organic compounds dominated the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021. Synthetic organic compounds involve polyhexamethylenebiguanides, quaternary ammonium compounds, and many other compounds. These compounds offer higher efficiency against a large number of microbes in a cost-effective way. Accordingly, research organizations and market players opt for expanding synthetic organic compounds portfolios. For instance, as per the April 2021 report by Sanitized AG, the company’s Sanitized T 99-19 product, made of quaternary ammonium compound, was highly appreciated by textile manufacturers globally owing to its robust antimicrobial property. Such effective uses of synthetic organic compounds will increase their demand in the segment of active agents during the forecast period. Bio-based active agents will witness significant demand in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market – By Fabric

Polyester fabric dominated the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021. This form of fabric is widely used in medical textiles and apparel applications. Polyester offers superior stain resistance and durability compared to its counterparts, making it a suitable choice for research organizations and market players. For instance, as per the January 2020 blog by BioCote, the company tested its fabric to check antimicrobial property where 62% of the fabric was composed of polyester. The high percentage of polyester-based fabric showed incredible resistance against bacterial growth. Such robust performance of polyester-based antimicrobial fabrics will increase its demand in the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period. Cotton and acrylic fiber fabrics will witness significant growth in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market - By Finishing Techniques

Pad-dry cure dominated the finishing techniques in the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021. Pad-dry cure involves steps such as padding, drying, and curing for the antimicrobial textile finishing process. This technique is extensively used to impart antimicrobial properties onto fabrics. Market players and research organizations prefer this technique owing to its effective processing in fabric finishing. For instance, as per the February 2019 article by Juniper Publishers, the antimicrobial property was developed on cotton fabrics with the implementation of the pad-dry cure technique. Such high uses of this technique will increase its uses in the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period. Electrospinning and exhaust techniques will witness significant demand in the antimicrobial textiles market during the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market - By Application

Medical textiles application dominated the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021 and is growing at a CAGR of 6.2% in the forecast period. Antimicrobial textiles involving fabrics like cotton, polyester, and acrylic fiber have widespread uses in multiple healthcare products such as gowns, masks, curtains, bandages, among others. The increasing use of antimicrobial textiles in the medical application will contribute to the growth of the market. For instance, as per Milliken & Company’s April 2020 news, the company leveraged its breakthrough BioSmartTM antimicrobial technology to manufacture lab coats and hospital privacy curtains amid the pandemic. Similarly, In October 2021, BioCote presented its new antimicrobial ingredient at Interplas 2021 event. This innovative solution is used in the manufacturing of disposable medical gloves. Such increasing implementation of the antimicrobial solution in medical textiles application will drive the growth of the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021. Apparel textiles application is projected to drive the growth of the market significantly in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market - By Geography

The North American region held the largest market share in the antimicrobial textiles market in 2021 with a market share of up to 32%. The high demand for antimicrobial textiles is attributed to the presence of several market players and flourishing medical textile applications in the region. Milliken & Company, PurThread Technologies, Microban International Limited, Herculite Products Inc., are some of the key antimicrobial textiles market players located in North America. The presence of these players in the region leads to the rapid expansion of antimicrobial textiles portfolio through continuous R&D efforts. Furthermore, the growing demand for medical textiles is also increasing the high implementation of the antimicrobial textiles. For instance, as per the July 2020 news, Milliken & Company increased the domestic production of its Milliken perimeter advanced protective fabrics for medical applications. The company supplied 10 million yards of reusable medical fabrics owing to the shortage of personal protective equipment between March to July 2020. Such high demand for medical textile applications will increase the demand for antimicrobial textiles in the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region will witness significant demand for the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market Drivers

Increasing medical textiles applications will drive the growth of the market

Antimicrobial textiles such as cotton fabrics, polyester, and acrylic fiber fabrics find their extensive use in medical applications such as masks, gloves, bandages, curtains, bedding, among others. The requirement for medical textile applications amplified during the pandemic with masks and protective gowns witnessing high demand and this trend will be there in the forecast period which will drive the growth of the market. For instance, as per April 2020 news by Thailand-based Indorama Ventures, the UAB Orion Global PET facility centre of Indorama Ventures provided 10,000 gloves and 1,000 shoe covers to help protect the hospital and various association staff in Klaipeda. Similarly, in August 2020, Finland-based Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj launched its new personal protective medical fabric named TrustShield Biological which is used to manufacture medical gowns and drapes. Such increased activities in the medical textile applications will drive the growth of the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period.

Expanding apparel textiles applications will drive the growth of the market

Antimicrobial textiles are implemented widely in several apparel products such as sportswear, footwear, clothes, and many more. The demand for apparel applications is growing owing to the increasing awareness about high-quality fabrics among consumers. Accordingly, market players are engaging in the development of superior antimicrobial solutions. For instance, in May 2019, Soft-Tex International Inc., a market leader in home comfort products, introduced an expanded suite of antimicrobial-treated bedding products by joining hands with Microban International. Similarly, in May 2019, Sanitized AG developed a new biocide-free technology named Sanitized Odoractiv that enables odor adsorption and neutralization in sportswear. Such increasing developments in the apparel applications will increase the implementation of antimicrobial solutions which will drive the market’s growth in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market Challenges

Raw material price fluctuation might hinder the growth of the market

The antimicrobial textiles market involves raw materials such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. These raw materials are petroleum-derived whose prices are fluctuating owing to the volatility in the price of petroleum and this might hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period. Petroleum prices dropped historically during the pandemic due to lockdown restrictions. As per the data by ourworldindata.org, in 2017, the price of crude oil stood at US$ 54.19 per barrel which surged to US$ 64.21 per barrel in 2019. In 2020, the oil price fluctuated again, dropping to US$ 41.84 per barrel. Such fluctuations in oil prices created volatility in the petroleum prices, ultimately fluctuating the raw material prices which might hinder the growth of the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period.

Antimicrobial Textiles Market Industry Outlook

Investment in R&D activities, acquisitions, product and technology launches are key strategies adopted by players in the antimicrobial textiles market. Major players in the antimicrobial textiles market are:

1. Milliken & Company
2. PurThread Technologies 
3. Trevira GmbH
4. BioCote Limited
5. Unitika Ltd.
6. Herculite Products Inc.
7. Sanitized AG
8. Microban International
9. Indorama Ventures
10. Kolon Industries
11. Toyobo Co., Ltd.
12. Fuji Chemical Industries
13. BASF
14. Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj
15. The Dow Chemical Company
16. Others

Recent Developments

In June 2019, Milliken & Company acquired Andover Healthcare which deals with medical bandages and antimicrobial dressings. This acquisition helps in expanding the implementation of antimicrobial property in medical applications, ultimately contributing to the growth of the antimicrobial textiles market in the forecast period.

Relevant Reports

Antimicrobial Medical Textiles Market - Forecast 2021 – 2026

Report Code: CMR 74745

Antimicrobial Additives Market - Forecast(2021 - 2026)

Report Code: CMR 71871

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