Non-Woven Adhesive Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Non-Woven Adhesive Market is forecast to reach $2.3 billion by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period 2021-2026. The market for non-woven hygiene adhesives is witnessing high growth due to rising demand from emerging applications such as baby care, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence. Advancement in medical procedures and healthcare-related practices is expected to drive the market for non-woven adhesives in the next few years. Rise in ageing population is also anticipated to be a major factor driving the inclusion of non-woven adhesives in various adult care products such as adult diapers. With increasing awareness related to the use of safe and hygienic products, the market for non-woven adhesives is estimated to expand further during the forecast period. 

However, the end-use industries are being significantly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as most of the countries have issued “stay at home guidance” i.e., lockdown. This factor is limiting the market growth in current situation.

The report: “Non-Woven Adhesive Market report – Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Non-Woven Adhesive Market.

By Technology: Waterborne Systems and Hot Melt Adhesives.

By Type: Styrenic Block Copolymers, Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin, and Others  

By Application: Infant Care, Feminine Hygiene, Adult Incontinence, Wet Wipes Adhesives & Others

By Geography: North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and RoW.

Amorphous Poly Alpha Olefin segment has dominated the market for Non-Woven Adhesive Market in 2020. As it is more resistant to solvents and acids. It is also cost-effective compared to other adhesives. The usage of non-woven adhesives is expected to increase substantially in medical products, owing to the rapid advancements in the healthcare sector, which is largely dependent on product developments and innovations.

Infant Care sector has dominated the market for Non-Woven Adhesive Market in 2020, by growing at a CAGR of 5.3% during forecast period 2021-2026.  Infant Care is the major application of non-woven hygiene adhesives; the growth of the segment is backed by a continuous rise in demand from emerging countries. The global infant care market is witnessing high growth owing to the rise in the infant population, along with increasing awareness about baby hygiene through social media and other promotional activities. Manufacturers such as P&G (US), Johnson & Johnson (US), Unicharm (Japan), Domtar (Canada), and Kimberly-Clark (US) are spending more on advertising their baby hygiene products to increase the awareness about baby hygiene. Such developments play a significant role in propelling the market for non-woven hygiene adhesives.   

APAC dominated the Non-Woven Adhesive Market share with more than 37%, followed by Europe and North America. The growth is mainly attributed to the developing economies of China, India, Thailand, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Stringent government regulations regarding emission of Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) and production of chemical-based products in developed regions are offering opportunities for global players to invest in emerging economies, where regulations are relatively lax. The European government has imposed many strict policies, which have encouraged the use and production of bio-based ingredients in the region. Policies and regulations governing this manufacturing sector are less stringent in developing regions such as APAC and the Middle East & Africa, thereby, providing abundant opportunities to the adhesive manufacturers to establish manufacturing facilities in these regions. The market for non-woven hygiene adhesives and its end-use products in APAC and South America is still developing and, with the continuous progress in technology, opportunities in these regions will increase.

The rising demand for high-quality non-woven products such as baby diapers, adult incontinences, feminine hygiene pads, wipes, and other products is increasing the demand for non-woven hygiene adhesives in developed as well as developing countries. Increasing lifespan and declining birth rates in developed regions have led to an increase in the global aging population. This is resulting in increased demand for non-woven hygiene adhesives for adult diapers, mainly in developed countries such as the US, Japan, and in the Western European countries. The adult diaper market is larger than the baby diaper market in these countries.

Traditionally, nonwoven construction adhesive systems can be based on two technologies which are waterborne systems and hot melt adhesives. The former has the advantage of being free of all harmful substances. They also have minimum risk to cause skin irritation. The downside is that water-based adhesives tend to need a rather long time to dry. However, the most reliable and comfortable hygiene products such as diapers, incontinence products, medical wound care products and feminine hygiene pads and shields currently use thermoplastic hot-melt systems. These are plastic-like 100% solid adhesives which take a liquid form when heated, hence the name hot melt. In general, hot melt adhesives for nonwoven materials allow for high production efficiency, low costs and extreme product reliability.

Price and availability of raw materials is a key factor for adhesive manufacturers for determining the cost structure of their products. Since non-woven fabric feedstock is derived from crude oil, any rise in crude oil prices increases the cost of production and reduces the profit margins of the manufacturers of non-woven fabrics. Price is a major determining factor for many end-users in the global non-woven fabrics market. The adhesive industry is also affected by high transport costs induced by fluctuating fuel prices and higher manufacturing costs resulting from increasing energy costs. Adhesive manufacturers have responded by passing on such price rise to end-users, thereby, resulting in decreased demand for adhesives, as certain end-use segments, such as low-end adhesive products and general users are price-sensitive.

The non-woven adhesive industry is facing a challenge from regulatory authorities in Europe and North America. Regulators such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), European Union (EU), Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), Globally Harmonized System (GHS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate the usage of adhesives in various non-woven applications. Non-woven hygiene adhesives producers in these regions have to evolve their processes to comply with new policies constantly. In addition, the lengthy regulatory approval process poses challenges for the manufacturers.

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Non-Woven Adhesive Market. In 2020, the market of Non-Woven Adhesive has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the Non-Woven Adhesive Market are Henkel AG, H.B. Fuller, Arkema, Moresco Corporation, Lohmann- Koester GmbH & Co.KG, Beardow & Adams (Adhesives) Ltd., ADTEK Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Colquimica Adhesives, Savare Specialty Adhesives, and Palmetto Adhesives Company, Inc., among others.