Nonwovens used in personal protective equipment (PPE) remain widespread in the healthcare industry due to their superior comfort, excellent barrier properties and resistance to contamination compared to reusable fabrics. The importance of nonwovens like spunmelt and meltblown became even more evident during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as demand for these materials and PPE surged.

“Disposable materials have been long preferred for healthcare applications for their quality reliability, cost optimization and lower risk of contamination,” says Mariana Mynarski, Corporate Marketing & ESG, Fitesa. “The same applies to nonwoven-based healthcare disposables such as gowns, drapes and face masks. More recently, discussions have also started to include improvements in sustainability due to lower water use.”

Similarly, S. Ziya Gumuser, general manager of Turkish nonwovens producer Teknomelt, says demand for nonwoven products used in the medical market is increasing every year, due to ease of use, cost and hygiene. With this rapid increase, he expects nonwoven fabrics to largely replace woven fabric used in healthcare. “Especially after the pandemic, with the awareness for health, the supply has also increased in parallel with the increase in demand,” he explains.

The latest data from the Smithers market report – The Future of Global Nonwoven Markets to 2029 – show that in 2024 the North American market for disposable medical nonwovens will be worth $636.6 million. This will consume a total of 233,300 metric tons of nonwovens.

Post-Covid, Phil Mango, nonwovens consultant, Smithers, considers the state of the medical nonwovens market as back to normal, responding more to economic factors than pandemic fears. “There had been overstocking in 2020-22 which then resulted in de-stocking in 2022-24, resulting in slower growth during that period,” he adds. “Additionally, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine along with Hamas’ attack on Israel, set off global inflation and slower economic growth. China’s economic issues are additional problems for this market.”

While the mature North American medical nonwovens market maintains stable demand and the economy is performing better than most others, Europe and Asia (especially China) will experience a growth slowdown due to economic issues, Mango explains. “Overall, though, medical nonwovens should return to pre-Covid growth over the next five years.”

Fitesa, one of the largest nonwovens manufacturers in the world, expects demand for medical nonwovens to continue to grow as disposables replace reusables and healthcare expenditures increase. Mynarski says the aging population may also have an impact on demand, as more people live longer and take advantage of surgical procedures.

However, nonwovens manufacturers are facing challenges. Mynarski says the entire spunmelt nonwovens industry has been facing overcapacity, which is also impacting healthcare applications. “More importantly, this market has been significantly impacted by the overwhelming overcapacity for converting products,” she adds. “Competition will remain the main challenge in the short to medium term. Fitesa’s technology base, innovation capabilities, and technical expertise will remain important competitive advantages in this scenario.”

Brett Schoenberg, product manager, Owens & Minor, a manufacturer of PPE products and nonwovens, says demand for PPE has stabilized compared to the spike seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, though this varies by category with certain product segments experiencing less intense demand. “We anticipate continued demand for products produced in the Americas and for products that do not rely on foreign supplies due to the nature of current supply chain interruptions. And due to O&M’s vertical integration, we are able to rapidly ramp up our production of nonwoven PPE in the face of emergencies,” he says.

After the demand peak during the coronavirus pandemic, Hartmann, another manufacturer of PPE products including FFP2 masks and surgical and isolation gowns, saw the market significantly decrease and drop below pre-pandemic levels. This is also because high stock levels were reached, according to a Hartmann spokesperson. Now, the market demand has stabilized to a pre-pandemic level or slightly above.

Medline, another manufacturer of PPE products, has also witnessed significant changes in demand for PPE in recent years.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, the market for PPE doubled in size due to the urgent need for protective gear to safeguard against the virus,” says Danielle Sharfman, director product management, Personal Protection, at Medline. “In the past three quarters, however, the market has stabilized, with demand for PPE still remaining higher than before the pandemic. This sustained increase is partly due to a heightened focus on added protection and a general increase in PPE use across various industries.”

This year has already seen significant growth in single-use PPE, which is expected to continue, she adds. “Several factors will drive future growth, including continued customization to meet specific customer needs and innovation based on new guidelines. These guidelines include AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation)-rated suggestions for decontamination space and the allowance of AAMI ratings on non-gown PPE. These drivers will help Medline maintain and expand its presence in the single-use PPE market.”

With growth in the market expected to continue in the coming years, manufacturers of PPE continue to advance R&D efforts to drive innovation and enhance their offerings for the healthcare market.

The nonwoven PPE Medline manufactures includes gowns, headwear, footwear, disposable patient apparel and lab apparel, and some recent innovations include multiple gown configurations, custom-sized lab apparel and storage units for PPE.

The company also recently launched the market’s first AAMI-rated Nonskid Fluid-Resistant Boot Covers. The AAMI PB70 standards have expanded to include recommendations on using AAMI-rated PPE beyond drapes and gowns. Available in regular and XL sizes, Medline’s boot cover is the first AAMI Level 3 footwear option on the market and it is the first tested and approved AAMI-rated boot cover of any rating level. “Our goal is to provide the highest level of protection for clinicians and staff in higher fluid environments to give our customers peace of mind,” says Sharfman.

Innovation also continues to be strong at Owens & Minor (O&M). O&M’s portfolio of PPE products includes the HALYARD* brand of facial protection, N95s, sterilization wrap, surgical gowns and apparel. These products are primarily manufactured in the company’s Americas-based facilities using its nonwoven fabrics produced in Lexington, NC, including spunbond, meltblown, SMS and customized laminate composites. 

In 2022, O&M launched a new version of its flagship AERO CHROME* AAMI Level 4 gown as part of its growing gown portfolio, as well as several universal drapes and back-table covers. This year, the company added hydro-charging capabilities to its meltblown lines to support growth in its nonwoven roll good filtration segment. In 2025, O&M is adding capabilities to supply its SMS and spunbond roll goods on three- and six-inch core formats.

“The recent Covid pandemic showed us that there are no constants and therefore, we must be poised to scale,” says Schoenberg.

Therefore, in 2022, O&M expanded to a new market focused on selling HALYARD* nonwoven rolled goods to customers for medical, hygiene, wipes, industrial and filtration applications, where it has an annualized nonwoven capacity of 60,000 metric tons.

Additionally, O&M made a number of investments to broaden its manufacturing capabilities and better serve its customers. In 2019, the company installed a tri-lamination line to produce composite laminates combining its nonwovens with other substrates such as films to make unique structures. In 2021, it expanded warehouse capacity for raw materials and rolls to ensure supply continuity for its customers. O&M also started up a Recofil meltblown asset to produce meltblown media for wiper and HEPA applications.

“Moving forward, to better service our rolled good customers, we are upgrading our assets capabilities to be more flexible to customer requirements and allocating more manufacturing and warehouse capacity for non-medical applications,” Schoenberg says.

In developing new products, Hartmann has been considering ways to lower the carbon footprint of its offerings. According to the company, single-use products are typically associated with reduced risks of cross-contamination, as they are designed for one-time use and are disposed of after each patient encounter. This reduces the chances of infection transmission. Reusable products, on the other hand, require proper cleaning and sterilization processes to maintain their integrity, which can be more time-consuming and prone to errors. Any compromise in cleaning protocols could pose a threat to patient safety.

Executives say the entire life cycle of single-use and reusable products needs to be analyzed. Factors such as production, transportation, the type of materials used and the methods of reprocessing must be considered. While reusable products have the potential to generate less waste in the long run, their production and cleaning processes may require substantial energy and chemicals for reprocessing, potentially offsetting the benefits. The high consumption of water resources must be taken into account when assessing the environmental impact of reusable items.

Instead of a complete transition to reusable products, Hartmann believes a viable way forward may be to make single-use items more environmentally friendly, for example by using recycled, bio-based, or biodegradable materials. Hartmann is working towards sustainability by redesigning products to provide the same performance and safety as current products, but with a lower carbon footprint. These initiatives demonstrate that it is possible to combine patient safety with sustainable practices, executives say.

Nonwoven Developments

Like the makers of PPE, nonwoven manufacturers have been diligent in their efforts to continue developing better-performing products.

In the healthcare market, Fitesa supplies meltblown materials for respiratory protection, meltblown composites for wipes, spunmelt fabrics for surgical protection and spunbond materials for overall protection. The nonwovens manufacturer also produces specialty films and laminates for a variety of medical applications. Fitesa’s healthcare portfolio offers solutions that meet standards, such as AAMI, and are—or can be made—compatible with the most common sterilization methods, including gamma.

Besides the continuous development of elastic, high barrier and antimicrobial materials, Fitesa is also working on more efficient material setups, such as combinations of multiple layers (e.g. the external and filtering layers for the face mask) in the same roll good, and more sustainable raw materials, such as biobased fabrics.

For Teknomelt, efforts have been made to expand the usage areas and targets of the products by producing blood repellent, alcohol repellent and antibacterial products. In addition, with the studies to be carried out on environmentally friendly PLA nonwovens, Teknomelt aims to eliminate the residues that such disposable products will leave to nature, Gumuser says. 

The nonwovens manufacturer produces high filtration meltblown, SS, SMS, SMMS, full and half reinforced hotmelt laminated SMS and laminated SS nonwovens.

Teknomelt has focused on developing nonwoven materials that offer superior breathability, fluid resistance and comfort, crucial for applications in surgical gowns, wound dressings and hygiene products.

“These technological advancements not only improve the quality and reliability of medical nonwovens but also play a crucial role in enhancing patient outcomes,” Gumuser says. “Enhanced breathability and comfort contribute to better patient comfort during prolonged use, while improved fluid resistance and barrier properties help reduce the risk of infections and promote faster recovery times.”


In recent years, Indian nonwovens producer Welspun, through its strong R&D capabilities, has been able to develop a range of applications for its spunlace nonwovens used in the healthcare market. Its key product applications include safety wear, disinfecting and sanitizing skin before treatment, wound dressings and patient wipes.

The company also recently developed a product for postpartum maternity care. “This product keeps the patient safe, clean and hygienic from contamination in specific areas,” says Kiran Warrier, global category head – Advanced Textiles, Welspun. “As post-treatment is the time when the patient is more vulnerable, this innovation will keep the patient secure for a longer period post-hospitalization.”

Healthcare is an important category Welspun and the company believes there are significant opportunities for spunlace nonwovens. “During conversations with pharma customers, we understand that customers are looking for sterilized hygienic material for use with ease on the supply chain and cost as well,” says Warrier.

Additionally, he adds, spunlace is superior for skin-related functions, and as spunlace consumption increases, the products become more affordable. “Therefore, superior performance at a competitive cost with enhanced user experience makes it a balanced value chain.”

Focusing on wound care applications, Freudenberg Performance Materials offers high-performance nonwovens, ranging from sustainable wound pad materials for plasters up to gelling and hydro active nonwovens for advanced wound care. The company also offers PU foams and product solutions, e.g. debridement foam and silicone adhesive foam, as well as products for wearable devices, incontinence and diagnostics and just recently invested in technology to offer solutions for wound biologics.

According to Dr. Henk Randau, SVP Global Business Division Healthcare at Freudenberg Performance Materials, the company’s hydro active nonwovens and foams have been designed to meet the requirements to support the self-healing powers of the body by creating the right microclimate and thus accelerate the healing process and enhance wellbeing. “Whether in first aid dressings for everyday use or in modern, multi-layer dressings for chronic wounds, Freudenberg’s products offer appropriate solutions and contribute to the recovery process,” he says. “The company places extremely high value on the biocompatibility and tolerability of our raw materials.”

Freudenberg components are used in Class 1-3 medical devices and in FDA-certified products.

Freudenberg recently invested in a patented technology for bioresorbable nonwovens, and the first product has been recently launched on the market. The technology can serve as a carrier material and enables the incorporation of active ingredients in the nonwoven, making it suitable for applications, in particular, for wound biologics or regenerative medicine, Dr. Randau explains.

Freudenberg also recently developed an innovative two-type silicone bordered wound dressing. Unlike other dressings on the market, this variant features an extra-strong silicone gel border as an outer layer and a patented silicone-coated absorbing foam for wound contact. “This combination is an evolution of existing products in the market,” he says. “While the border enables longer wear time and thus reduces cost, the silicone coated foam has only minimal adherence to sensitive newly build skin that forms at the wound edges and thus supports healing.”

Also active in the wound care category is KNH Enterprises. Recently, the Taiwanese nonwovens manufacturer further developed lightweight and breathable medical dressing materials and elastic bandage products, expanding the applications of the new generation of nonwoven materials in medical use through research and innovation.

“Lightweight and breathable medical dressing materials exhibit excellent absorption performance and good breathability, offering a comfortable user experience while effectively preventing infections and protecting wounds. This further meets the demands of healthcare professionals for functionality and efficacy,” says KNH sales director Kelly Tseng.

KNH also produces soft and breathable thermal bond nonwovens, as well as meltblown nonwoven materials with high filtration efficiency and breathability, which play an important role in healthcare. These materials are widely used in masks, isolation gowns, medical dressings, and other disposable medical care products.

As the global population ages, KNH expects the demand for medical products and services to increase accordingly. “Nonwoven, as materials widely used in the healthcare field, will see more growth opportunities in areas such as hygiene products, surgical supplies and wound care products,” says Tseng. “Furthermore, with the improvement of healthcare quality and the increase in average life expectancy, the healthcare industry is becoming more consumer-oriented. ‘Health-conscious consumers’ will play a significant role in driving the widespread adoption of health technology, leading to a continued rise in demand for disposable medical care products, such as adult wet wipes, light incontinence pads, adult diapers and absorbent pads.”