Protective Textiles Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Protective Textiles Market Overview

Protective Textiles Market size is expected to reach a value of US$8.5 billion by the end of the year 2027 after growing at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period from 2022-2027. Protective textiles are technical textiles that are designed as their functional characteristics rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics. Protective clothing is used to protect the wearer from harsh environmental effects that may result in injuries or death. Protection textiles are made of aramid, high-performance polyethylene, polyester, and other fiber types which are designed for a bulletproof vest. Thus, the increase in demand for protective textiles in various end-use industries such as aerospace & defense, and electrical & electronics industries. This is one of the major factors driving the protection textiles industry growth. Protection textiles have various properties such as thermal protection, flame protection, chemical protection, mechanical impact protection, protect from ultraviolet radiations, and biological protection. Owing to such properties, protective textiles are widely used in the healthcare sector which is expected to grow at a significant rate for the protective textiles market during the forecast period.

COVID-19 impact

During 2020-Q2 of 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak, the building & construction industry was dropped which highly affected the market scenario. Protective textiles are widely used in building as they are used to protect against wind, ultraviolet radiation, and rain. But during the COVID pandemic, the building sector was closed which is reducing the demand for protective textiles. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), construction spending on office buildings declined over 9%, hotels investment decline by 20%, and amusement and recreation centers down almost 13% in January 2021. According to U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending in the US decreased 0.8% in January 2021. However, the global protective textiles demand was hugely affected in terms of consumption from buildings which is limiting the market growth.

Report Coverage

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

By Fiber Type: Aramid Fibers (Meta-Aramid and Para-Aramid), Cotton Fibers, Polypropylene Fiber, Polybenzimidazole fiber, Ultra-high Tenacity Polyethylene Fibers, Polyphylene Sulphide Fibers, Polyetherketone Fibers, Phenolic, Polyamide (Aliphatic Polyamide, Aromatic Polyamide, and others), and Others.
By Application: Heat & Flame Retardant, Chemical Resistance, Healthcare Garments (Respiratory Membranes, Masks, Others), Firefighter Garments (Fire Uniform, Helmets, Station Wear Outfits, Others), Space Outfits, Bulletproof Protection, Ultraviolet Protection, Ballistic Retardant, and Others.
By End-Use Industry: Transportation Industry (Automotive, Railway, Marine Industry, Aerospace & Defense), Agriculture Sector, Healthcare Sector {Healthcare and Hygiene Products (Surgical Gowns, Surgical Mask, Hygiene Wipes, Others), Extracorporeal Devices, Others}, Sports Industry (Racing Suits, Swimwear, Others), Oil & Gas Industry, Electrical & Electronics, and Others. 

Key Takeaways

• The Asia Pacific held the largest share in the protective textiles market owing to the growing investment in various end-use industries such as the healthcare sector in Asina countries such as India and China.
• According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, the global pharmaceutical trade is expected to reach US$1-US$1.3 trillion by 2030. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the number of airplanes is expected to reach 1,100 by 2027.
• Increasing adoption of protective textiles fiber types such as high-performance polyethylene as they are protected from ultraviolet radiations and hazardous chemicals which is estimated to boost the consumption of these textiles.

Figure: Asia Pacific Protective Textiles Market, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

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Protective Textiles Market Analysis – By Fiber Type

Aramids held the largest share of more than 30% in the protective textiles market in 2021. Aramids are widely used in protective textiles compared to glass and carbon fibers as they have exceptional impact resistance and energy absorption capacity, high strength, low melting point, low flammability, high fabric integrity at elevated temperatures. The aramids such as mete aramid and para-aramid are not damaged by filament abrasion during processing. Aramid has low density, high strength, and high energy absorption which meets the protection requirement for ballistic treats and bulletproof vest, approximately 20–50 layers of fabric are required. Aramids are also protected against hazardous ultraviolet radiation. Aramids have excellent heat and flame resistance and high tensile strength than steel (up to 7times); thus, the major companies are planning to develop aramids. In May 2020, Hyosung planned to invest a total of KRW 61.3 billion (US$ 52.47 million) in its Aramid factory in Ulsan and expand the production capacity of aramid from 1,200 tons to 3,700 tons in a year. In November 2020, Teijin Aramid produced ultra-high-strength para-aramid fibers which are used in diverse applications from car tires to airfreight containers to make them stronger, lighter, and more durable. In addition, aramids are also used in various industrial sectors such as aerospace which is estimated to grow the market size. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the total value of airplanes shipped through the second quarter of 2021 was US$8.6 billion, an increase of approximately 9.4% over the second quarter of 2021. Aramids are possessed various physical properties such as melting points (>500 0C) and tensile strength (3500-5000 MPa), and density (1.45 g/cm3). Thus, due to these physical properties, this fiber type is widely used for protective textiles.

Protective Textiles Market Analysis – By Application

Heat and flame retardant held the largest share of more than 35% in the protective textiles market in 2021. Heat and flame retardant is used in steel mills, welding factories, molding factories, and glass item manufacturing factories to protect the human body from the fire. These textiles are used to make fire gloves that have good thermal resistance at 270°C and flame resistance at 1200°C. heat and flame retardant textiles are providing aesthetics to the surroundings and offer low flame toxicity in fire, breathable, crease-resistance, and high dimensional stability. In 2020, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed the NFPA 2112 standard for flame-resistant clothing for the protection of industrial personnel against thermal exposures from Fire. Thus, these are widely used in buildings. According to the US Census Bureau, new housing unit construction was 11,471 thousand units in 2019 in the United States, which reached 3,642 units in 2020. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's real estate market investment jumped from 15.7% in 2019 to 38.3% in January-February 2021. Hence, due to such factors, the demand for heat and flame retardant is growing which is also growing the protective textiles industry growth.

Protective Textiles Market Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The Healthcare sector held the largest share of more than 40% in the protective textiles market in the year 2021. Protective textiles are used to protect both hospital staff and their patients from viruses, bacteria, hazardous chemicals, and other micro-organisms. The protective textile is made from high-performance fibers such as aramid which are preventing hazardous bacteria. Medical textiles have various properties such as tear resistance, abrasion resistance, fluid barrier, breath-ability, have good resistance to alkalis, elasticity free from micro impurities, air permeability, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. Due to such properties, protective textiles are used for medical gowns and caps, surgical drapes, gowns, face mask table and tray covers, X-ray gowns, scrub suits, barrier, isolation gowns, baby wipes, and other healthcare garments. According to the National Healthcare of United States, healthcare spending increased 4.6 percent to reach $3.8 trillion in 2019. According to the international trade administration, in Mexico, the pharmaceutical market was US$ 2.5 billion in 2019. Thus, the growing pharmaceutical sector is anticipated to increase R&D expenditure in the United Nations. According to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Association, the R&D expenditure in the pharmaceutical sector in the United States was increased by US$ 64.3 billion in 2019 compared to US$ 62.2 billion in 2018. Hence, the growing healthcare industry is expected to propel the protective textiles industry growth.

Protective Textiles Market Analysis – By Geography

Asia Pacific region held the largest share of more than 45% in the protective textiles market size in the year 2021, due to the increasing demand from various end-use industries such as the pharmaceutical industry in Asian countries such as India and China are estimated to grow the demand for protective textiles. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India’s domestic pharmaceutical market is estimated to reach US$ 65 billion by 2024 and ~US$ 120-130 billion by 2030. According to healthcare information company IQVIA, the pharmaceutical sector of China was US$122.6 billion in 2017 and is forecast to reach US$175 billion by 2022. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the healthcare market is expected to increase by Rs. 8.6 trillion (US$ 133.44 billion) by 2022. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, in 2019, Food and Drug Administration approved API plants to manufacture 13% of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) in China. Hence, all such factors are growing demand for protective textiles in the region.

Protective Textiles Market Drivers

The growing Electrical & Electronics Industry is estimated to grow the demand for Protective Textiles

Protection textiles are used to protect from electrical hazards such as electromagnetic and electro-static protection. It helps to reduce the risk of electric shock and intense flammability and fulfill the requirement for working in the vicinity of very high voltage equipment. Electrical protective garments are made of polyester, due to their electrical insulation properties, that are flame-resistant and comfortable to wear. In addition, these are fire retardant; thus, it is widely required in the electrical and electronics industry. According to India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), India is expected to reach a value of US$ 100 billion to manufacture electronics equipment such as laptops and tablets by 2025. According to the International Energy Agency, in Europe, the requirement of household electrical devices such as an air conditioner was 115 million units in 2020, which is estimated to grow 167 million units by 2030 and 220 million units by 2040. According to the Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers Association, the Indian domestic electrical equipment market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12% to reach US$72 billion by 2025. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the worldwide sales of electrical components such as semiconductors reached US$39.0 billion in October 2020, an increase of 6.0 % compared to the October 2019 total of US$36.8 billion and 3.1 % more than the September 2020 total of US$37.9 billion. This will further drive the protective textiles industry. 

Increasing adoption from the Aerospace & Defence Industry

Protective textiles are widely used in aircraft, space suits, space shuttles, lunar and Mars missions, and space transportation. Protective textiles have various specific characteristics such as protection from ultraviolet radiation & hazardous chemicals and resistance to wear & tear which makes them ideal for the aerospace industry. Protective textiles fabrics such as para-aramid fibers and high-performance polyethylene are used to manufacture bulletproof vests, airbags, space suits, upholstery fabrics, wall covers, headsets, and floor carpet in the aerospace and defense industry. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the total value of airplanes shipped through the second quarter of 2021 was US$8.6 billion, an increase of approximately 9.4% over the second quarter of 2021. According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the Union Ministry of Défense formulated the Défense Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 aims for aerospace & defense products and services space to generate revenue and exportation worth Rs. 175,000 crore (US$ 23.49 billion) and Rs. 35,000 crore (US$ 4.70 billion), respectively by 2025. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the Indian aerospace & defense (A&D) market is projected to reach ~US$ 70 billion by 2030. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global commercial aerospace revenue is forecast to reach 9% YoY in 2021. Hence, the globally increased demand from the aerospace & defense industry is estimated to boost the demand for protective textiles.

Protective Textiles Market Challenges

High Cost of Protective Cloths

Aramid fibers are used to make protective textiles as they are a more protective fiber type than silicon (a technical textile solution for electronics), rather expensive, and difficult to manufacture. Meta-aramids are highly resistant to temperature, chemical degradation, and abrasion which have a tenacity of about 5.6g/den as compared to polyester fibers. These fibers can withstand tensile stress during exposure to flames and temperatures up to 400 0C. The prices of meta-aramid fibers are 1.5-denier fiber cost atUS$11.50 per pound and 200-denier cost at US$25.00 per pound. Hence, the high cost of aramid fibers may create hurdles for the consumption of protective textiles. 

Protective Textiles Industry Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in this market. Protective Textiles top 10 companies include:

1. DuPont
2. Royal Ten Cate NV
3. W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
4. Kusumgar Corporates
5. DyStar Group
6. Schoeller Textil AG
7. ARGAR S.r.l
8. Madhuram Fabrics Pvt. Ltd.
9. Teijin Limited
10. PBI Performance Products, Inc., and more.

Recent Developments

• In 2020, Techtex, a member of Romanian Furniture manufacturer Taparo Group, recently launched two more automated technological lines for manufacturing surgical masks. The company will invest €20 million (US$ 22.83 million) in a brand-new factory to produce the third lawyer of surgical masks, which it currently imports. This will help to grow the consumption of protective textiles.

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