The 15Th Nonwovens Innovative Technology Application Summit Was Held In Hangzhou

From August 21 to 22, Jung's "2019 (the 15th) Nonwovens Innovation Technology Application Summit" was held in Hangzhou.

More than 160 well-known experts from the field of nonwovens and medical and health materials, together with enterprises in diapers, sanitary napkins, wet wipes, facial masks, medical and other industries, as well as raw material suppliers, machinery and equipment manufacturers, associations and institutions, discussed the latest trends in the market, technology, process and application of nonwovens.

Lu Liqing, director of Jung Industrial Media Conference, said in his opening speech that at present, the globalization process of the nonwoven industry is accelerating. As the largest and fastest growing market, China has always shown a strong development momentum and potential, and the Chinese government has launched a series of major policy measures, which also brings a lot of investment opportunities for the industry. On the one hand, local manufacturers increase investment in technology research and development, invest in the latest and most advanced production lines, and attach importance to product differentiation development. At the same time, the trend of green, environmental protection and sustainable development in the industry is further highlighted; On the other hand, leading foreign manufacturers also pay more attention to the Chinese market. They constantly strengthen their competitive advantages in the Chinese market through investment and cooperation with domestic enterprises and institutions.

According to the data of the National Bureau of Statistics, the production of nonwovens in China reached 2.162 million tons in the first half of 2019, an increase of 11.41% year on year, which indicates that the demand for nonwovens is still very large. In terms of exports, China exported 497000 tons of nonwovens in the first half of the year, up 6.88% year on year; In terms of finished products, the exports of wipes and disposable sanitary products to the world increased by 7.47% and 16.09% respectively, which indicates that Chinese products have obvious competitive advantages in the world. The rapid growth of China's nonwoven investment, on the one hand, shows that enterprises are very optimistic about the future development of the industry, and actively expand and upgrade their production capacity, which will boost the industrial upgrading of the entire industry; But on the other hand, it has also intensified the industry competition in a short time, especially the homogenization competition at the middle and low end, which has lowered the average price level. Therefore, from finished product manufacturers to equipment and raw material suppliers, upstream and downstream enterprises should cooperate, interact and share more to jointly resist risks.

Xiang Yang, Director of the Working Committee of ANFA Asian Nonwovens Association and Chairman of the Nonwovens Professional Committee of China Technical Market Association, made a theme report entitled "Current International Nonwovens Market Development Trend and International Nonwovens Standard Work". Through a large amount of data and empirical research, Xiang Yang analyzed the market trend of nonwoven materials market, and explained in detail the R&D situation and current situation of nonwoven industry in Europe, North America and Asia respectively. He said that nonwovens are one of the most active fields of innovation and development in recent years. By 2020, the global nonwoven material market is expected to grow from 37.4 billion dollars in 2015 to 50.8 billion dollars. The growth from 2015 to 2020 was affected by the expected speed of global economic recovery, but its growth still reached US $13.4 billion, an increase of 36%, indicating that the nonwoven industry is developing well.

Xiangyang analysis believes that although the market is affected by the economic environment, the overall prospect of nonwoven materials is still bright because they can meet the diversified and high-end needs of multiple application markets. Among them, filter materials are the most promising nonwoven material application field with growth and development potential, based on "clean and pure" % of filter materials continue to grow at a rate of 3%~4% higher than GDP. In the field of automobile/transportation, the application of nonwoven materials has maintained a strong growth. It can replace traditional materials through engineering design, such as the use of nano fiber materials and composite media in the field of filtration, or the use of layered composite materials to achieve the purpose of lightweight, noise reduction and heat insulation, and improve the fuel economy of vehicles; The research and development of high value-added materials, complex and delicate medical and trauma care fields, including high value and cutting-edge implantable products, will become a new high growth field once breakthroughs are made in technology and material technology.

Xiang Yang also introduced the market situation of nonwoven materials for wet process and filtration, which has been growing rapidly in recent years. Due to its low cost and sustainability, wet nonwovens continue to be a popular choice, especially in the rapidly growing wipes market. During 2018~2023, wet laid nonwovens are expected to grow from US $700 million to US $1.8 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%. Its key driving forces include the demand for convenient and high-quality products. Nonwoven materials for filtration are expected to grow from US $3.5 billion in 2014 to US $4.6 billion in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%.

Hu Xiaoyun, Marketing Director of Symrise (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., delivered a theme report entitled "From Cleaning to Care - Additional Functions of Paper Products Surface". With the economic growth of the Asia Pacific region, we can foresee the emergence of demand upgrading, including paper products and wet wipes. After analyzing several sub categories, the launch of new products in the past year, and the change of consumption trend in the current market, Hu Xiaoyun mentioned that "natural, additive free, environmentally friendly" products are increasingly favored by consumers. She believes that the Asia Pacific wet towel market is full of opportunities. Wet wipes are popular with consumers in China. Compared with dry paper towels, consumers recognize the added value of wet wipes, such as the moisturizing ingredients used for skin care and the disinfection effect used for household surfaces. In the Asia Pacific region, focusing on its functionality will help improve consumer acceptance, and the industry should pay more attention to consumer education. She also emphasized that the printing of wet towel materials can bring benefits to various applications, and can better achieve the effect of wet wipes, especially in terms of cleaning ability. However, one of the challenges in the current market is the environmental protection of wet wipes. Brands in the Asia Pacific region have the opportunity to develop more environmentally friendly wipes, such as using renewable fibers such as bamboo fiber.

With the change of Chinese consumers' cognition and use of wet wipes, consumers' demands are mainly reflected in functionality, environmental protection and no addition. The market development trend of related products will focus on the consideration of safety/comfort; Additional functions, such as sunlight&pollution protection, anti-aging; Application occasions and extension of application parts. Symrise has been working hard in this regard. The solutions in the field of wet wipes promoted by the company include the bionic moisturizing factor Hydroviton? PLUS， Symguard? CD， SymCalmin? For sensitive skin Symrelief? 100、 SymSitive? 1609, SymClariol for deep cleaning, etc. In addition, the company can also provide antiseptic system for wet wipes, including toxicology and safety of ingredients, changes in regulations, and clinical investigation of preservatives.

Li Jingya, the technical manager of sanitary materials and health in China of Dow Chemical (China) Investment Co., Ltd., delivered a theme report entitled "Innovative Solutions for Sanitary Materials of Dow Chemical (China) Investment Co., Ltd. - Ensuring Freedom of Action, Dedicated Play and Rest". Dow fiber and nonwoven solutions cover two major areas: softness and functionality. In soft fiber and non-woven fabric solutions, VERSIFY? Elastomers can be used for one component spunbonded non-woven fabrics, with VERSIFY? DP 4200.02, for example, can be softened through polymer and formula design. ASPUN? Fiber grade resin can be used for two-component spunbonded non-woven fabrics, such as ASPUN? 6850A fiber grade resin can produce bicomponent spunbonded nonwovens, which can obtain better spinning stability and meet the higher requirements of the market for flexibility and ductility. ASPUN6000 fiber grade resin used for super soft single component spunbonded nonwovens can significantly improve the draping feeling, with the advantages of tactile comfort and low friction coefficient. ASPUN? Fiber grade resin can be used for short fiber hot-air non-woven fabrics, which can customize the tensile strength and elongation, and make the hot-air non-woven fabrics have more excellent bulkiness and improve the drapability.

In functional fiber and non-woven fabric solutions, ASPUN? And AMPLIFY? Functional resin can be used for low melting point fiber and dust-free paper? For example, GR 204 functional resin can improve the adhesion with cellulose and the tensile strength of dust-free paper. ASPUN? MB melt blown fiber resin can be used for melt blown non-woven fabrics, which can significantly improve the draping feeling and softness, and does not need additional processing or additives to improve the melt index of materials, thus reducing odor, improving the sensory experience of masks, hygroscopic sanitary products, wet wipes, filter membranes, and medical products. In addition, compared with polypropylene, ASPUN? MB resin has higher gamma ray sterilization stability and is more suitable for medical packaging and other uses. In the field of hot melt adhesive, Dow's Infuse OBC solution can provide lower odor and lower environmental impact.

Chen Peng, a researcher of Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, made a theme report entitled "Research and Development of Fibers and Nonwovens Based on Biodegradable Synthetic Polymers". Combined with his own research topic, Chen Peng introduced the research and development of biodegradable fiber and non-woven fabric. Biodegradable fiber non-woven fabric conforms to the concept of green development and innovation drive in the industry, and has huge market potential. However, it still faces some challenges, and needs to get through the technology chain of raw materials, processing and application. With the diversification of sources and the expansion of polymerization scale of biodegradable PLA resin, its cost has approached the level of general PP and PET, but it has the advantage of not being affected by price. PLA spinning process is similar to PP and PET, and the existing PP and PET spinning lines can be used to produce PLA fibers and nonwovens, saving costs. He analyzed the extension of technology from the perspective of molecular structure. He put forward the research idea of combining bio based and rigid chain, and obtained PEFT copolyester according to the molecular design of some bio based rigid chain copolyesters. According to the research results, the melt flow behavior of copolyester is similar to that of PET, and the shear viscosity is proportional to the intrinsic viscosity (IV). Comparing the preparation process and properties of PEFT fibers with different EF content raw materials, the results show that copolyesters with furan monomer content less than 8% all show good melt spinnability. Under similar process conditions, the mechanical properties of copolyester fibers are close to or better than pure PET. He also made a preliminary study on the dyeing properties of the drawn yarn.

Chen Yue, Marketing Manager of Kimberly Clark (China) Co., Ltd., delivered a theme report entitled "China's diaper market pattern and future development trend of high-end diapers". As a global leader in health care, Kimberly Clark's three core areas are personal health care products, household paper and commercial consumer products. Based on the changes in the constituent elements of China's consumption trend index and consumption willingness in recent years, Chen Yue believes that in 2019, the consumption index will pick up and consumption willingness will increase. With the full liberalization of the two child policy, the birth rate of newborns is still very stable. In newborn families, the birth rate of two children has exceeded one child. When choosing infant care products, second child mothers will re evaluate brands and products, pay more attention to product reputation, and prefer online shopping channels that can see multi-dimensional product evaluation. In this context, the Chinese diaper market is on the road to high-end upgrading, and the demand for product experience is constantly upgrading, from the basic no rash, no urine leakage, to the dry and close fitting in the middle end, to the requirements for softness, breathability, naturalness and skin friendliness. High end and super high-end diapers and trousers have achieved a very high growth rate. Compared with last year, the growth rate of super high-end trousers was 94%, and that of high-end trousers was 51.2%. The growth rates of super high-end and high-end diapers were 51.9% and 17.1% respectively; In sharp contrast, the medium end and low-end diapers showed negative growth, respectively - 14.2% and - 21.8%.

Chen Yue analyzed three important trends of high-end products in detail based on product cases. First, consumers pay more attention to the safety quality of products. According to the survey, safety, high standard technology, public praise, and green organic are the factors that mothers attach importance to in turn. Among them, safety factors rank first. 76% of post-90s and 69% of post-80s mothers attach the most importance to safety factors, and major brands spare no effort to ensure this through various effective means as well as cooperation and communication with suppliers. Second, product differentiation. According to the survey, 40% of post-90s and 30% of post-80s mothers agree that "the more detailed and targeted mother baby products are, the more attractive they are to me". This proportion is higher in first tier cities, and more and more segmented skin care products have emerged in the market, such as the application of surface materials such as weak acid and vitamin E, and even some gender specific and targeted products for premature infants. Third, the products are more scene oriented. Consumers are willing to choose products for different scenarios, such as daily and night use, travel, and even seasonal products, especially the cooler and more breathable summer exclusive diapers. The survey shows that 70% of consumers are interested in seasonal diapers.

Wu Haibo, professor of the Department of Nonwoven Materials and Engineering, School of Textile, Donghua University, analyzed that spunlaced technology promotes the rapid development and application of cellulose fiber nonwovens. He said that the nonwoven industry was formed under the rapid development of research and technology in the fields of textiles, paper making and polymers. In the nonwoven industry, spunlace is the fastest growing entanglement process. According to incomplete statistics, at present about 72% of spunlaced nonwovens are used as disposable wiping materials such as dry wet wipes, cotton napkins, etc. Among these spunlaced nonwovens, such products using washable materials are convenient and effective when used, can be quickly treated after use, and are environmentally friendly, so they are favored by consumers. Referring to the highly concerned washable materials, Wu Haibo said that washable materials must be washable, dispersible and biodegradable.

Lu Yan, senior technical director of Rheinland Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., made a theme report entitled "Testing and Certification of Compostable Nonwovens". Lu Yan said that it can be predicted that the non-woven field, which is undergoing a critical period of structural upgrading, will accelerate the industry reshuffle, and enterprises that can achieve the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development will be more competitive. Nonwovens that can be biodegradable in composting environments, such as wet wipes, can become safe soil nutrients, which is a sustainable alternative to traditional wet wipes. She distinguished the definitions of biodegradable and compostable materials. Degradable plastics include plastics that can be degraded by physical and biological factors. Compostable plastics are one kind of biodegradable plastics, which can be completely digested by microorganisms in the treatment system as food to obtain energy. Different degrees of biodegradation may occur under different conditions. Therefore, when declaring that the product is biodegradable, the preconditions should be noted. According to Lu Yan, chemical test, biodegradability test, disintegration test and ecological non-toxic test are usually required for compostability test. As a leading international testing service provider, T ü V Rhine has more than 20 years of experience in the field of compost certification. As early as 2013, it established a biodegradation testing laboratory recognized by DIN CERTCO in Shanghai, and in April 2017, it became the first foreign-funded testing laboratory approved by BPI in China.

Cao Renguang, Deputy General Manager of Hengtian Jiahua Nonwovens Co., Ltd., made a theme report entitled "Research Innovation and Application Trend of Two component Melting Nonwovens for Hygiene". Cao Renguang said that sanitary materials customers have increasingly high requirements for materials, including soft touch, fluffy, breathable, skin friendly, and safety (zero irritation, zero sensitization), which can be met by developing more advanced spinning and melting materials. Two component nonwovens are functional nonwovens formed by melting, composite spinning, mesh forming and reinforcement after extruding two kinds of chip materials with different properties from their respective independent screw extruders. The biggest advantage of two-component spunbonded nonwovens is that different materials can be used to produce products with different properties through different composite forms, including high uniformity, good softness, high strength and low elongation. He introduced different categories of two-component spinning and melting technology and their respective fiber characteristics and advantages, and shared Hengtian Jiahua's research and innovation work in the field of two-component spinning and melting materials for health, such as EXCEL? Chaoyue series products have a micro spiral structure. It uses a unique raw material formula and adopts the unique side by side two-component composite spinning technology of Lefin. The products are fluffy, soft, breathable and skin friendly, which can meet the needs of high-end development of sanitary products and bring consumers a better comfortable and safe experience.

Liu Ya, associate professor of the Department of Nonwoven Materials and Engineering of Tianjin University of Technology, made a theme report entitled "Development and Performance Research of PLA Medical Nonwoven Materials". She said that with the acceleration of aging process, the application prospect of medical nonwovens is promising. The medical nonwoven market is still growing at a high speed in the overall economic environment. In this context, traditional PP nonwovens not only have a single structure and lack of softness, but also are uneconomical and environmentally friendly. The biodegradable polylactic acid material is not only more flexible, but also environmentally friendly, so it will not burden the environment.

Mei Changhong, deputy general manager of Zhejiang Jinsanfa Sanitary Materials Technology Co., Ltd., made a theme report entitled "Innovative ideas of wet towel products, innovative application of nonwovens in the field of wet wipes". There are some similarities between the wet towel market and the diaper market. Mei Changhong, based on the company's market research, said that with the development of China and the improvement of the consumption level, there will also be corresponding changes in the requirements for products, such as high skin friendliness, softness, and consumer applicability, safety as the guide. In addition, pure natural material sources, environmental protection and degradation are also the focus of consumers. He also mentioned that in addition to great concern for comfort, consumers now also have high requirements for appearance, which should be paid attention to when developing products. In terms of market innovation, Mei Changhong believes that environmental protection and degradability will become an important development trend. The third generation Lyocell fiber may start the process of replacing viscose fiber in an all-round way. Viscose fiber, cotton, bamboo fiber, Lyocell fiber and their blends will become the main fibers of environmentally friendly and biodegradable spunlaced fabrics. In terms of categories, the number of clean and disinfected wipes will increase rapidly, while the number of infant wipes will be greatly affected by dry wipes, which may slow down. Adult incontinence wipes and household wipes will experience a high growth. At the same time, e-commerce shopping has become a habit. Each platform will have a period of oligopoly in various subcategories and differentiated competition in small and medium-sized e-commerce. In the direction of product innovation, consumers pay attention to thickness, which is the first intuitive response; Wet wipes that are easily deformed are often labeled with poor quality; More than 60% of viscose products have little difference in consumer experience with gram weight products; Jacquard can usually be thickened by 5-8%. But low gram heavy jacquard has risks; Chinese consumers prefer non fragrance or light fragrance. In terms of nonwovens innovation, based on viscose polyester, it is developing towards high proportion of cellulose fiber, including bamboo, cotton, Lyocell, etc; The production line with high impurity or TT direct laying will still be the mainstream of non-woven fabrics for wet wipes; Through a certain process, it can achieve thickening, non fuzzing, softness, special customized patterns and other properties; Blending of cotton, bamboo, viscose, Lyocell and corn will be the main base material for high-end and differentiated products; There is an increase in washable materials, but the total amount is limited in the short term; Thickened, high CD strong alternative to crossover.

During the round table discussion, Xiang Yang, Li Jingya, Cao Renguang and Mei Changhong discussed the current opportunities and challenges, green and sustainable development, emerging markets and other topics in the domestic nonwoven industry.