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Nanofiber Market Overview
The Nanofiber Market size is forecast to reach US$3.4 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 32.1% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Nanofibers can be categorized into carbon nanofiber, graphite nanofiber, polymer nanofiber which include polysaccharides, polycaprolactone, collagen, cellulose, polyurethane nanofibers, and more. They are used in a wide range of industries which include medical, textile, automotive, electrical & electronics, aerospace & defense, water treatment, and other industries. In August 2021, Pennsylvania American Water announced the commencement of the development of a new wastewater treatment plant in the U.S. The approximate cost of the project is around US$ 8.7 million. The wastewater treatment plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. The increasing demand for nanofibers from the water treatment and medical industries acts as major drivers for the market. However, environmental concerns associated with the toxicity of nanoproducts may act as a major constraint for the market.
COVID-19 Impact
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 lockdown has significantly reduced textile operations, and production which in turn, has resulted in the decline of the textile supply and demand chain all over the world, thus, affecting the market. Studies show that the outbreak of COVID-19 sharply declined textile production in 2020 due to a lack of operations across multiple countries around the world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for medical textile fibers all over the world. For instance, the increasing demand for surgical masks as the primary medium of protection during the pandemic created a huge opportunity for the continuation of medical textile fiber production. A recent report from UNICEF stated that it had distributed around 301.3 million surgical masks and 22.2 million N95 respirators, which reached around 127 countries in 2020. According to the World Trade Organization, total imports of face protection products increased by 90% in 2020. Leading importers of COVID-19-critical products which includes PPE kits, face masks, and other medical products registered a significant import growth in 2020 as compared to 2019, which included 62% in France and 52% in Italy. Nanofibers are used as the primary element for filter materials in face masks, PPE kits, and respirators, owing to their excellent air filtration properties. Thus, the surging demand for surgical masks, PPE kits, and respirators is expected to increase the use of nanofibers required during its production, which indicates a steady recovery of the market in the upcoming years.
Report Coverage
The report: “Nanofiber Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Nanofiber Industry.
By Product Type: Carbon Nanofiber, Polymer Nanofiber, Graphite Nanofiber, Metal and Metal Oxides Nanofiber, Others.
By Synthesis Process: Electrospinning, Self-assembly, Phase Separation, Others.
By Application: Tissue engineering, Drug Delivery, Cancer Diagnosis, Lithium-air Battery, Optical Sensors, Water & Air Filtration, Oil-Water Separation, Textile Fiber, Electrodes, Others.
By End-Use Industry: Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Textile, Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Aerospace & Defense, Water Treatment, Others.
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and the Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and the Rest of South America), the Rest of the World (the Middle East, and Africa).
Key Takeaways
- Water treatment industry in Nanofiber Market is expected to see the fastest growth, especially during the forecast period, owing to an increase in demand for wastewater treatment across the world. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, more than 75% of the country’s population is served by centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems. There are around 16,000 municipal wastewater treatment facilities that are operational throughout the country.
- Nanofiber has a wide range of properties which include high porosity, high encapsulation efficiency, high surface area, controllable morphology, high chemical stability, flexibility, and high thermal stability which makes them ideal for use in medical textile and water treatment industries.
- Asia-Pacific dominated the Nanofiber Market in 2021, owing to the increasing demand for nanofiber from the water treatment sector of the region. The excellent filtration properties of nanofibers make them ideal for use in filter media and membranes used in water treatment systems.
Nanofiber Market Segment Analysis – By Product Type
The polymer segment held a significant share in the Nanofiber Market in 2021, owing to its increasing demand due to the characteristics and benefits it offers over other types of nanofiber. Polymer nanofibers which include polysaccharides, polycaprolactone, collagen, cellulose, and polyurethane nanofibers offer high surface-to-volume ratio, flexibility in surface functionalities, along with superior mechanical performance and tensile strength in comparison to carbon nanofiber, graphite nanofiber, and other nanofibers. Moreover, they are lightweight, offer better thermal stability, and have a controllable, multiscale porous structure that can be used in a wide range of applications as compared to carbon, graphite, and other types of nanofibers. Hence, all of these benefits are driving its demand over other types of nanofibers, which in turn, is expected to boost the market growth in the upcoming years.
Nanofiber Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry
Nanofiber Market Segment Analysis – By Geography
The Asia Pacific held the largest share in the Nanofiber Market in 2021 up to 30%. The consumption of Nanofiber is particularly high in this region due to its increasing demand for nanofibers from the water treatment industry. Nanofiber is primarily used in the production of filter media and water filtration membrane systems for the removal of specific contaminants such as heavy metals, and oily molecules along with the removal of micro-pollutants, organic and inorganic matter. For instance, according to the China National Bureau of Statistics, China invested US$ 81.6 billion in its municipal wastewater system, including the development of new water treatment facilities, from 2015 to 2020. In 2020, the development of 39,000 new wastewater treatment facilities was completed throughout the country. In 2021, the Chinese government announced its plans to build new wastewater treatment facilities in the country in order to increase its wastewater treatment capacity by 20 million cubic meters per day from 2021 to 2025.
Furthermore, in August 2021, SMEC, Acciona, and Hunter H2O received a contract from the city of Gold Coast to build a new water treatment plant on the Gold Coast, Australia. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. In 2020, operations for expansion of Woodman Point Water Resource Recovery Facility began in Australia. The addition of the water treatment facility is expected to increase its treatment capacity to 180 megaliters per day. The project is scheduled to be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2024.
In this way, such increasing development of new wastewater treatment facilities in the region is expected to increase the demand for nanofibers, thus, driving the growth of the market during the forecast period.
Nanofiber Market – Drivers
An increase in demand from the water treatment industry is most likely to increase demand for the product
An increase in demand from the medical industry is most likely to increase demand for the product
Nanofibers such as polysaccharides, polycaprolactone, collagen, cellulose, and polyurethane nanofibers are used in the implantable materials in the medical industry, owing to their properties such as high porosity, enhanced drug solubility, superior mechanical strength, flexibility, and versatile surface functionalization. Moreover, the use of biomedical textiles made of nanofibers as a substitute to replace or aid damaged body parts has been increasing rapidly in the past few years. Biomedical textiles composed of nanofibers is mostly used in artificial arteries, artificial joints, surgical sutures, and vascular grafts. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), more than 1 million hernia procedures are performed in the United States annually, due to the increasing issue of obesity among the general population in the country. Likewise, according to the National Institutes of Health, around 10%-15% of the US population usually suffers from gallstones in the bile duct. Furthermore, it also states that more than 5 million Americans are usually affected by valve-related heart diseases each year. Hence, the prevalence of such diseases in the general population and performing such surgeries would require advanced medical devices, including the use of biomedical textiles composed of nanofibers, thus, leading to market growth in the upcoming years.
Nanofiber Market – Challenges
Environmental concerns associated with the toxicity of nanoproducts may confine the market growth
The use of nanofibers is usually linked with causing nano pollution. Nano pollution occurs from the byproducts or waste that is generated during the manufacturing of nanomaterials. The byproducts and waste generated during the production of nanomaterials can end up in landfills and contaminate the air and water systems. The growth of nanotechnology including nanofibers is considered to be a growing environmental concern as the full-scale impact of nano pollution is yet to be determined. Moreover, prolonged exposure or inhalation of nanoparticles during their manufacturing process may cause lung inflammation and heart problems. Thus, such environmental and health concerns associated with the production of nanomaterials could lead to strict regulations being imposed against nanofiber manufacturers in the future. This may confine the growth of the market.
Nanofiber Industry Outlook
Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in this market. Nanofiber top 10 companies include:
- DuPont
- Donaldson Company, Inc.
- ELMARCO
- Abalolu Holding Inc.
- NanoTechLabs, Inc.
- KURARAY CO., Ltd.
- Clearbridge NanoMedics Pte Ltd.
- Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
- eSpin Technologies
- Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
Recent Developments
- In January 2021, Gentex Corporation today acquired a new nanofiber sensing technology that can be used in numerous applications in a range of industries. The new technology is capable of detecting a wide variety of chemicals, including drugs, VOCs, explosives, toxic industrial chemicals, and more.
- In February 2020, SPUR AS launched a special nanomaterial that meets the standards required for the production of medical face-masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. This material has a high virus filtration efficiency of 70% to 95%.
Relevant Reports
Nanotechnology Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)
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Nanofibers for Medical and Cosmetics Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)
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Polymer Nanocomposites Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
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