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Surgical Examination Gowns to Observe Consistent Demand in the Near Future

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Surgical Examination Gowns to Observe Consistent Demand in the Near Future

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The demand for examination gowns will be significantly bolstered by the consistent prevalence of chronic diseases. The rising cases of the coronavirus have necessitated the protection of the healthcare workers to combat the infection. Examination gowns, also referred to as medical gowns are widely utilized across health care settings as personal protective equipment.

The gowns mainly protect their wearers from infections or other illnesses that can be caused by highly infectious liquid and solid substances. They also restrict these individuals from transferring microorganisms that are likely to affect vulnerable patients that possess weak immune systems.  In addition, the examination gowns deploy advanced infection-control strategies.

It has been estimated that the global examination gowns market size will register a significant revenue share through 2026. The market value of surgical examination gowns will expand at a considerable rate owing to their higher adoption across all four risk levels. These gowns are highly opted by health care personnel and the affected patients. This is because they offer higher protection from the transfer of microorganisms, body fluids, as well as particulate components to these individuals during surgical procedures.

Use for minimum patient isolation

Non-surgical gowns will witness higher adoption in the next few years as they are well suited to cover most of the body that is appropriate to the tasks. These components are not preferred in surgical and invasive procedures, or in instances where there is a high risk of contamination. Besides, the non-surgical gowns guard the wearers against the spread of microorganisms and body fluids in low and minimal-risk patient isolation conditions.

The annual revenue from minimal risk examination gowns will strike a significant growth rate due to their higher use in basic care situations. These gowns are employed in standard isolation and medical units. They also act as a cover gown for visitors.

On the other hand, the demand for high-risk examination gowns will grow with uses in long and fluid intense surgical operations. They are specifically utilized to offer resistance against pathogens and in instances where infectious diseases are suspected.

Rising popularity of reusable examination gowns

Industry share from reusable examination gowns will register remarkable traction on account of their higher preference over their disposable counterparts. This can be owed to their cost-effectiveness with regard to production, waste, and carbon footprints. These medical gowns also possess optimum barrier properties like a high level of repellency and superior fabric thickness. They also have a longer wash lifespan and offer serviceability features beyond protection, like comfort, durability, and appearance retention.

Examination gown suppliers are focusing on company acquisitions, mergers, and partnerships, to gain an edge over their competitors while simultaneously broadening their footprint across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic has also substantially paved the way for capacity expansions and novel product launches. For instance, Huntsman Textile Effects collaborated with woven fabric manufacturer, Bao Minh Textile, in May 2020, to come up with fabrics that adhere to stringent performance standards that are needed for isolation gowns.

Medline Industries, Inc., AmeriPride Services Inc., Cardinal Health Standard Textile Co., Inc., and Angelica Corporation are some other companies producing and supplying various types of examination gowns.

Polymers
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How the Demand for High-Temperature Resistant Polymers Enhances the Growth Statistics of Polyimide Fiber Market

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With biodegradable and eco-friendly fibers scoring an edge over synthetic polymers of late, the polyimide fiber market has been observing a renewed traction worldwide. In the last couple of years, polymers and advanced materials industry giants have faced a series of challenges pertaining to the integrity of various polymer products, a factor that has propelled the trend of natural fibers across various industries. Polyimide fiber has been identified as the most widely approved eco-friendly polymer owing to its exceptional characteristics including high decomposition temperature (560 degree Celsius), nonflammable, UV and radiation resistance, and relatively lower fire damage compared to aramid fiber.

On the research front as well, various scientific evaluations of polyimide fiber have made their presence felt, which are likely to contribute toward industrial development. Due to their aromatic structure, polyimide fibers boast of low flammability and brilliant chemical resistance while being extremely light in weight and these factors have made PI fiber market an attractive commercial proposition across the chemical industry.

Polyimide Fiber Market | Applications in the Chemical Industry

Applications in the chemical industry have indeed been cited as one of the chief arenas for the polyimide fiber industry over the past few years. One of the prominent reasons for the same being product’s massive use for filtration purposes in the industry where hot gases are involved. Since PI fibers are highly resistant to chemicals, they can be used as a supreme alternative for conventional filters generally used in chemical business space that are susceptible to high degradation thereby delivering reduced operational efficiency.

In fact, the use of PI fibers eases the performance of extreme processes while also augmenting the chemical plant’s overall productivity. Looking into these aspects, various chemical giants have begun brainstorming for the development of varied types of PI fibers to be used in chemical industries and elsewhere.

In a recent turn of events, one of the major chemical industry players- Evonik, had in late-2019 announced the launch of its new polyimide fiber named P84 HT, given the massive demands from various industries. The newly introduced product has received high acclamation owing to its improved mechanical stability and flexibility at constant high operating temperatures. In lieu of the aforementioned features, P84 HT fibers are typically developed to be used in a wide range of applications right from filter media for high-temperature filtration to thermal insulation and protective clothing.

COVID-19 and Polyamide Fibers

Given that polyimide fibers are massively being used in protective clothing, the recent trend for these is the outbreak of COVID-19 infection spread. The dreaded coronavirus pandemic, which emerged from the Wuhan province of China has to date claimed more than a million lives, leaving various businesses paralyzed. COVID-19 infection is considered to be a novel respiratory infection that is highly communicable, and this calls for use of proper protective equipment like face masks and PPE kits which could help in curbing the spread of this disease. In this regard, N95 masks are being currently deemed to be massively used protective equipment subject to their ability to restrict about 80% of aerosol particles.

Although N95 masks are considered highly effective, researchers are exploring the possibility of developing a membrane that can efficiently filter particles the size of SARS-CoV-2 and could potentially be replaced on an N95 after almost every use. In one such instance, a group of researchers reported on ACS nano that they have designed a membrane that could be attached to the N95 masks and later removed to prevent minuscule of particles to enter the respiratory tract. For this, researchers initially developed a silicon-based, porous template via lithography and chemical etching processes, and placed it over a polyimide film, standing as a barrier for the entrance of ultra-nano particles.

Also, recently a research team from City University, Hong Kong has successfully designed graphene face masks boasting of anti-bacterial efficacy of 80 percent which can only be improved to almost 100% with exposure to sunlight for just 10 minutes. An important thing to note here is that these masks can also be produced via the use of polyimide films. Speaking of which, it was reported that direct writing on carbon-containing polyimide films using a commercial carbon dioxide infrared laser system would produce 3D porous graphene, exhibiting similar graphene-like properties.

On the basis of the aforementioned, it is quite overt that although polyimide fibers or films are not directly used as a protective agent against dreaded COVID-19 infection, they still are highly important to improve the efficiency of PPE kits including face masks.

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Burgeoning Need for Facemasks Amid COVID-19 Concerns to Propel Meltblown Nonwovens Market

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As the demand for finer and more efficient filter media grows amid burgeoning facemask requirements, melt-blown nonwoven technology is set to gain rapid traction. Melt-blown fibers have diameters of less than 10µm, which is considerably finer than human hair of 120µm, and even cellulose fibers of 50µm.

One of the main polymers used in the production of melt-blown nonwovens is polypropylene. The raw material is melted and forced through an extruder which consists of several tiny nozzles. Once the thermoplastic synthetic material has exited the nozzles, the individual filaments, in their semi-melted form are blown by hot air in the same direction, essentially expanding them and producing extremely fine, endless fibers, within a matter of seconds.

The application scope of the melt-blown nonwoven market is vast, spanning filtration applications such as vacuum cleaner bags or cabin air filters, hygiene applications like feminine hygiene and incontinence products, medical fabrics, electronics, oil adsorbents, and apparel, among others.

Growing demand for feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence products will drive melt-blown nonwovens industry penetration

In the hygiene sector, nonwoven fabrics are present in a wide variety of products. From baby diapers to wet towels, to adult incontinence products to feminine hygiene products, nonwoven technology is rapidly becoming an intrinsic part of products used in nearly every phase of daily life.

One of the main end-users of nonwoven fabrics is bodyworn absorbent hygiene products. According to a study conducted by EDANA (European Disposables and Nonwoven Association), Personal Care & Hygiene represented almost 390,000 mt (36%) by weight and over 16.5 billion m² (56%) of the overall m² production of nonwovens in Western Europe in 2001.

Thus the broadening application scope of these products in various hygiene products is likely to add impetus to melt-blown nonwoven industry dynamics over the years ahead. Meltblown fabrics offer several beneficial properties like softness, lightweight, superior wet & dry strength, chemical agent-free, and dermatologically neutral characteristics, which make them highly suitable for use in products like baby diapers, which need to be designed especially for delicate infant skin.

To that end, in 2018, SABIC introduced a new lightweight & breathable PP nonwoven fabric for use in personal hygiene applications. The new material is based on its innovative PP resin product designed to enhance the properties of melt-blown fibers in nonwoven fabrics. The material, dubbed SABIC PP 514M12, is based on an odor-free and phthalate-free technology that delivers superior processability for melt-blown fibers with high spinnability, and uniformity. The resulting melt-blown nonwoven fabrics thus possess advanced barrier properties, breathability, absorption, conformability, and myriad other characteristics which make them well suited for personal hygiene products like sanitary napkins and diapers.

Stringent regulations pertaining to polypropylene usage may hamper industry growth

While melt-blown fabrics are being utilized extensively across the industrial landscape, the presence of strict regulations on PP usage by regulatory authorities worldwide may present certain roadblocks to market development over the coming years.

Stringent mandates, such as the European Union’s REACH regulation, aimed at addressing growing environmental concerns may challenge the adoption of melt-blown nonwovens.

Proliferating product use in the manufacture of facemasks is emerging as a key melt-blown nonwoven market trend

Surgical face masks have long been considered important protective measures in healthcare settings, in order to safeguard patients and staff alike. High-quality face masks are becoming crucial for healthcare professionals, particularly in the present pandemic scenario created by the novel coronavirus.

Meltblown nonwovens play a key role in this regard, as they are considered an ideal filter material for various types of masks.

In fact, the Journal of Academia and Industrial study, which compared the performance of nonwoven facemask materials with conventional and micro-porous materials over 7 main properties including liquid penetration resistance, bacterial penetration resistance, mechanical resistance, linting, drapeability, flexibility, and comfort, revealed that the nonwoven textile outperformed the conventional fabrics in four of the seven parameters.

To that end, various manufacturers are integrating the use of melt-blown nonwoven fabrics into their operations, as a response to the ever-growing need and potential shortages of protective facemasks in the COVID-19 era.

For instance, Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation) announced the establishment of a new production line for melt-blown nonwovens in the Jiangsu Province in March 2020, in order to boost the supply of raw materials for face mask manufacturing during the pandemic period.

Likewise, leading packaging and paper producer Mondi also introduced new production lines in its Gronau plant in Germany, for the production of melt-blown nonwoven fabrics, as well as surgical masks. The setup of the new lines is part of the company’s efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19 and address the growing demand for face masks from businesses, consumers, and health authorities.

Technological advancements and production expansion will facilitate growth for the melt-blown nonwoven industry

Key players in the melt-blown nonwoven industry are working on various strategic initiatives such as production capacity expansions as well as R&D efforts for nonwoven technology advancement, in order to cater to the rising product demand worldwide.

For instance, Freudenberg Performance Materials announced the expansion of its production capacity for nonwoven media used specifically for the production of certified EN14683 standard-compliant mouth-nose protection type of face masks, as well as EN149 standard-compliant FFP1, 2, and 3 masks. The materials are developed exclusively for the medical technology processing domain. Furthermore, Freudenberg has made significant investments towards the construction of a sophisticated melt-blown production line at its Kaiserslautern facility.

Meanwhile, Innovatec made a substantial investment in the development of two novel melt-blown nonwoven production lines in Europe, one of which is from Oerlikon Nonwoven. The investment is part of the company’s objective to manufacture an additional 1500 tons of nonwovens annually, which will eventually facilitate the creation of over 1.5 billion protective face masks.

Proliferating COVID-19 cases among the global population have created significant disruptions in the industrial domain, with various manufacturing facilities and supply chains taking a massive hit. With consumer purchases witnessing a marked drop across myriad product categories, several industries are facing challenges due to the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the main challenges presented by the pandemic was an unprecedented surge in melt-blown nonwoven industry demand, which has historically observed stable and long-term demands. However, the melt-blown nonwoven and related industries are responding in earnest to this rise in demand, and are rapidly coming to be considered an essential part in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, given their ability to boost the production of PPE, facemasks, medical supplies, wipes, and other products required for effective COVID-19 response.

For example, in Italy, which was the first European nation to enter a lockdown, Ahlstrom-Munksjö expanded its melt-blown nonwovens capacity at its Turin plant, which is now able to produce enough material for the manufacturing of over 60 million facemasks a month.

With this rapid expansion in interest and production, melt-blown nonwoven fabrics are rapidly coming to be considered as a prominent contributor to nonwoven technology in the modern era. With rapid technical material developments and the broadening application scope of specialized polymer structures, new melt-blown fabrics will likely transcend the utility of their conventional counterparts, paving the way for a brighter and stronger forecast for the technology in the years ahead.

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How Will Soaring COVID Cases Trigger Demand for Safety Gloves?

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Industrial workplaces stand as a hotspot for umpteen industrial accidents globally, just in case if proper precautions, like wearing protecting headgears or gloves, are not being followed. In fact, as per the International Labor Organization, more than 1 million industrial accidents occur every year globally, a dreaded count that enunciates the need for effective safety gears like gloves, suits, and headgears. An upsurge in industrial accidents and demand for protective equipment has thus significantly driven the overall growth of the industrial safety gloves market over the years.

Speaking on similar lines, a report by Global Market Insights, Inc., predicts that the worldwide industrial safety gloves market size would exceed a mammoth of USD 8 billion by the end of 2025, subject to intrinsic demand from mining, oil and gas, automotive, and medical industries.

COVID-19 Outbreak: A Catalyzer for Increased Adoption of Safety Gloves in the Medical Industry

Although safety gloves have been gaining massive prominence across various industrial domains, it has currently been witnessing huge traction from the medical sector over the past few months owing to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, an infectious disease that has claimed millions of lives while paralyzing major businesses worldwide.

Safety gloves are currently extensively being used to restrict the cross-contamination of infected or toxic substances while simultaneously ensuring the protection of hands, on the grounds of the spread of COVID-19. In this case, it would be safe to declare that the rising number of coronavirus cases would in turn propel the demand for these gloves globally, offering a huge room for various market players to develop uniquely designed gloves and leverage the profusely thriving medical sector.

An Indian healthcare company- Careway- announced offering single-use disposable hand gloves with over 100 medium-sized gloves to the public, in wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic scenario.

With the mention of disposable gloves, it has been observed that disposable safety gloves have evolved to become an important segment across the industrial safety gloves market space, owing to their one time use, which helps to reduce the probability of being infected or coming into contact with an infected object or a person.

A profound reason adding to the above mentioned for the sudden demand spurt in safety gloves is the potential intervention by various central, and state governments, and other regulatory bodies. These bodies have constantly been raising various concerns regarding the spread of infection on a much larger scale. On top of that, these organizations have also been requesting the medical professional to make full use of this disposable safety equipment on the grounds of the fear of COVID-19, which is anticipated to deepen over time.

With COVID-19 cases increasing dramatically on a daily basis, the threat of the given disease is expected to still prevail in the distance, with no end in sight. This would irrefutably augment the demand for PPE, thereby stimulating the industrial safety gloves market outlook.

Will rising industrialization and automation processes stand as an ideal growth challenge for the industrial safety gloves market?

It is not an unknown fact that the adoption of automation across various industrial verticals is accelerating at a stellar pace, with robots briskly substituting manpower in the manufacturing sector. Myriad manufacturing companies have begun embracing automation attributing to its deliverance of improved operational efficiency with optimum accuracy.

However, the emergence of such advanced technologies has brought to a decline in the sales of protective equipment, which ones were the sole need for all industrial workers. Say for instance, recently announced the world’s first-ever Augmented Reality Management Platform for Industrial Enterprises, developed by Atheer Inc., would enable the hands-free mode of operation via AR devices, in turn readily eliminating the need for industrial safety gloves at manufacturing facilities.

Nevertheless, industrial safety gloves still stand to be the ideal equipment for numerous industrial workers who have been assigned to look after operations that involve potential health risks.

Read more –  https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/industrial-safety-gloves-market

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Personal Protective Equipment – The Product of Choice for Frontline Personnel

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The globe has been observing a stringent rise in the count of industrial fatalities lately. In fact, as per the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland, more than 7,500 people die every year across some of the major industries including manufacturing, construction, and others primarily due to the negligence of PPE kits while working. Given the rising accidental count, PPE has now become more of a necessity across the aforementioned sectors, enabling the personal protective equipment industry to gain further prominence in recent years.

This has undeniably compelled personal protective equipment companies to focus on designing exceptional and superior protective wear with a view to ensuring maximum safety for workers.

However, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic situation, the global PPE industry has been witnessing a dramatic revolution in the global business sphere. Having originated from the Wuhan province of China, COVID -19, apart from claiming millions of lives, has brought about a major halt in vivid businesses in turn slowing down the economy of various countries. Amid this critical situation, the demand for PPE has, however, massively increased in order to offer protection to frontline warriors including the workers and medical staff. Not just the healthcare sector, but the thriving polymer industry is also leveraging the benefits of rising PPE demand, as the need for NBR latex gloves and similar PPE has exhibited a prolific upsurge.

Why PPE?

PPE, as of today, stands as a firm line of defense against some of the serious injuries that occur at workplaces, and while considering the current healthcare situation, it stands as a pivotal form of cross-contamination barrier between two or more people. That said, it is important that the credibility factor of this equipment remain unquestioned, for maintain the safety standards.

While citing an instance illustrating the increased proactiveness of personal protective equipment companies during the peak COVID season, it is crucial to state the mention of Medtronic- a pioneer in medical device production. Recently, the company donated personal protective equipment worth USD 1 million to a relief organization- International Medical Corps- in an effort to support its ongoing coronavirus response efforts in Puerto Rico and the continental United States. As per close officials, the donation covers about 408,000 KN95 respirators and more than 1.1 million surgical masks, which are being distributed to more than 15 hospitals and healthcare facilities across the hot spot zones.

The aforementioned is just one example of initiatives that are revolutionizing the PPE industry sphere. Below listed are some of the recent developmental trends that are fueling the growth scope of the PPE market.

PPE vending machines in rail stations- for safe and distant commuting

Considering the health risk for day-to-day commuters, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has reportedly announced its plans of setting up PPE vending machines at some of its rail stations to ensure maximum commuter safety, given the burgeoning COVID-19 cases in the city. The machines are approved by the CTA’s board and is deemed to contain PPE including disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, and sanitizing wipes and considered to be pocket friendly for the people, ranging from $3.87 to $10.

Such measures are anticipated to stand as an exemplary model for other countries and states who have been brainstorming into the ways of making traveling easy and risk-free for its people.

An internship for COVID-19 PPE production?

Innovation and internship programs have been the center of attraction for college as well as school-going champs, in an attempt to gain practical knowledge on the field. However, the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic has slashed on some emerging dreams. Nevertheless, with more than 400,000 COVID cases in the country, the State University of New York has launched a grant program that gives the students and faculty a chance to develop innovative alternatives to PPE for the city’s frontline warriors.

Named SUNY Prepare Innovative and Internship Program, the internship would offer USD 10,000 for faculty and students and is claimed to be open for all SUNY state-operated and Community College campuses. This initiative would not only bridge the demand-supply gap but would offer the student an opportunity to explore the world of combating the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Increased demand for lighter PPE

Personal protective equipment, although offering optimum safety and security from unwanted chemical spills, infection control, and other accidents, are infamous for heavyweight and suffocation they create. This has brought about a surge in demand for lighter protection, particularly across the industries that make use of powered air-purifying respirators. Various studies claim that a lot of existing PAPRs on the market are incredibly heavy and their design lacks even weight distribution, leading to strains and aches on operators. Since more and more workforces are tuning to heavy PPE today, lightweight PPE structure is emerging as an important design component to deliver on.

With this, considering the ongoing COVID-19 chaos, the healthcare sector is set to emerge as a prime revenue source for all PPE kit suppliers today. This leaves the public to ponder over: With the world currently being in turmoil due to novel coronavirus pandemic, will personal protective equipment emerge as a first line of defense?