What's New With Nonwovens in the Medical Industry?
The utilization of medical nonwoven fabric has outpaced woven materials in recent years. Even when traced back to their rapid adoption during WWII, nonwovens were proven to be superior products in terms of adaptability, disposability, cost, and effectiveness. Manufacturing technology improved in the following decades until current-day use of nonwovens has placed them in a position to dominate the medical textile industry.
What are Nonwovens Fabrics?
Nonwovens are defined as sheets or web structures bonded together by the process of entangling fibers or filaments (and sometimes by perforating films) mechanically, chemically, or thermally. The fibers may be oriented randomly throughout the fabric or only following one direction.
Multiple layers may be combined to achieve the desired elongation, strength, and other mechanical properties. Porosity is controlled by varying fiber density, diameter, orientation, and the use of additional mechanical processing.
Key characteristics of nonwovens that justify their use and popularity:
durability
strength
resilience
dimensional stability
low elongation
specific processing to control porosity
Benefits of Nonwovens Driving this Market
With very deliberate care being taken to lower the incidence of hospital-acquired infection, nonwoven medical textiles are the clear winner in this category, thanks to their unique qualities. Medical textile technology is subject to intense monitoring since human lives are at stake. The intense scrutiny has resulted in better quality products and the development and implementation of innovative new uses in the medical field.
Nonwovens are preferred and poised to dominate the industry because they:
are effective barriers against bacteria
outperform linens for reducing airborne contaminants
can be tailored to changing specifications
help mitigate the risks of today's medical environments due to drug-resistant bacteria, worsening viral threats, polluted indoor and outdoor air, and increases in the numbers of blood-borne diseases
In 2014, nonwovens dominated the global medical textiles market. They accounted for over 55% of global volume, and are projected to gain market share through 2024 consistently.
What is SMS Material?
“SMS” stands for spunbond meltblown spunbond. SMS non woven fabric is a type of nonwoven fabric that combines spunbond and meltblown fabrics.When SMS material is created, it has great water repelling capabilities. This is why manufacturers choose to use SMS material in things like face masks, parts of baby diapers, sanitary napkins, and janitorial coveralls. It’s also used for caps, gowns, beddings, and other hospital accessories.
Why Combine Spunbond with Meltblown?
Spunbond polypropylene is a material that has great durability and strength, no matter if it’s wet or dry. It’s very resistant to fraying and is difficult to unravel, plus it barely absorbs any moisture if it becomes wet.
Meltblown, on the other hand, is softer and more pliable than spun bond polypropylene. Their main advantage is their web strength, which is why they’re usually combined with other nonwoven fibers. While spun bond polypropylene has its advantages, it can feel stiff and uncomfortable when it’s put in everyday applications such as coveralls.Since meltblown has a webbed structure and is softer, when you combine these two nonwoven fibers, it provides the wearer with water resistance while still retaining comfort. It’s also breathable, so even if you’re covered from head to toe (as with coveralls), your comfort won’t be compromised.
Applications for SMS Material
Because of how well SMS material repels water, it’s used in a number of industries where people need to block off fluids or other wet substances. Some areas that utilize SMS material’s benefits used are:
Though the COVID-19 pandemic certainly pushed awareness of nonwoven fabrics to the forefront, we’ve had our eye on this growing market segment for years. Why? Because pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is often used to make or convert these textiles into usable everyday items.
Here’s our take on how non-wovens will continue to evolve and play a distinct role in the convenience economy.
What Is Non-Woven?
Nonwoven fabrics are the simplest and oldest textile fabrics. Neither woven nor knitted, as the name suggests, non-woven fabrics are broadly defined as sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (and by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically.
They are flat or tufted porous sheets that are made directly from separate fibers, molten plastic, or plastic film. They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn.
Typically, a certain percentage of recycled fabrics and oil-based materials are used in non-woven fabrics. The percentage of recycled fabrics varies based upon the strength of the material needed for the specific use. In addition, some nonwoven fabrics can be recycled after use, given the proper treatment and facilities. For this reason, some consider non-woven a more ecological fabric for certain applications, especially in fields and industries where disposable or single-use products are important, such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and luxury accommodations.
The utilization of medical nonwoven fabric has outpaced woven materials in recent years. Even when traced back to their rapid adoption during WWII, nonwovens were proven to be superior products in terms of adaptability, disposability, cost, and effectiveness. Manufacturing technology improved in the following decades until current-day use of nonwovens has placed them in a position to dominate the medical textile industry.
What are Nonwovens Fabrics?
Nonwovens are defined as sheets or web structures bonded together by the process of entangling fibers or filaments (and sometimes by perforating films) mechanically, chemically, or thermally. The fibers may be oriented randomly throughout the fabric or only following one direction.
Multiple layers may be combined to achieve the desired elongation, strength, and other mechanical properties. Porosity is controlled by varying fiber density, diameter, orientation, and the use of additional mechanical processing.
Key characteristics of nonwovens that justify their use and popularity:
durability
strength
resilience
dimensional stability
low elongation
specific processing to control porosity
Benefits of Nonwovens Driving this Market
With very deliberate care being taken to lower the incidence of hospital-acquired infection, nonwoven medical textiles are the clear winner in this category, thanks to their unique qualities. Medical textile technology is subject to intense monitoring since human lives are at stake. The intense scrutiny has resulted in better quality products and the development and implementation of innovative new uses in the medical field.
Nonwovens are preferred and poised to dominate the industry because they:
are effective barriers against bacteria
outperform linens for reducing airborne contaminants
can be tailored to changing specifications
help mitigate the risks of today's medical environments due to drug-resistant bacteria, worsening viral threats, polluted indoor and outdoor air, and increases in the numbers of blood-borne diseases
In 2014, nonwovens dominated the global medical textiles market. They accounted for over 55% of global volume, and are projected to gain market share through 2024 consistently.
What is SMS Material?
“SMS” stands for spunbond meltblown spunbond. SMS non woven fabric is a type of nonwoven fabric that combines spunbond and meltblown fabrics.When SMS material is created, it has great water repelling capabilities. This is why manufacturers choose to use SMS material in things like face masks, parts of baby diapers, sanitary napkins, and janitorial coveralls. It’s also used for caps, gowns, beddings, and other hospital accessories.
Why Combine Spunbond with Meltblown?
Spunbond polypropylene is a material that has great durability and strength, no matter if it’s wet or dry. It’s very resistant to fraying and is difficult to unravel, plus it barely absorbs any moisture if it becomes wet.
Meltblown, on the other hand, is softer and more pliable than spun bond polypropylene. Their main advantage is their web strength, which is why they’re usually combined with other nonwoven fibers. While spun bond polypropylene has its advantages, it can feel stiff and uncomfortable when it’s put in everyday applications such as coveralls.Since meltblown has a webbed structure and is softer, when you combine these two nonwoven fibers, it provides the wearer with water resistance while still retaining comfort. It’s also breathable, so even if you’re covered from head to toe (as with coveralls), your comfort won’t be compromised.
Applications for SMS Material
Because of how well SMS material repels water, it’s used in a number of industries where people need to block off fluids or other wet substances. Some areas that utilize SMS material’s benefits used are:
- Protective apparel
- Cleanroom coveralls
- Filtration
- Insulation
- Medical healthcare
- Sanitary products
- Why The Future Is Nonwoven
Though the COVID-19 pandemic certainly pushed awareness of nonwoven fabrics to the forefront, we’ve had our eye on this growing market segment for years. Why? Because pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is often used to make or convert these textiles into usable everyday items.
Here’s our take on how non-wovens will continue to evolve and play a distinct role in the convenience economy.
What Is Non-Woven?
Nonwoven fabrics are the simplest and oldest textile fabrics. Neither woven nor knitted, as the name suggests, non-woven fabrics are broadly defined as sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (and by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically.
They are flat or tufted porous sheets that are made directly from separate fibers, molten plastic, or plastic film. They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn.
Typically, a certain percentage of recycled fabrics and oil-based materials are used in non-woven fabrics. The percentage of recycled fabrics varies based upon the strength of the material needed for the specific use. In addition, some nonwoven fabrics can be recycled after use, given the proper treatment and facilities. For this reason, some consider non-woven a more ecological fabric for certain applications, especially in fields and industries where disposable or single-use products are important, such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and luxury accommodations.