PP Melt Blown Fabric: Process Description and Why its Demand is Increasing in India

The melt blown process is a non-woven manufacturing system that involves the direct conversion of a polymer into continuous filaments. Development in this field of technology in the industrial area started around 1945. It is used to fabricate a type of textile known as non-woven fabric made from polypropylene (PP). Thus the name ‘PP melt blown fabric’.

Usage of polypropylene increased because of its good air permeability, zero chemicals, and thermal bondage. It also possesses excellent bidirectional machine direction/cross direction tensile strength and tear properties.

The non-woven fabrics are mechanically, thermally, or chemically bound together with material created from separate fibres of molten polymers forming a web-like fabric.

Melt Blown Process Description

A typical melt-blown process consists of the following elements:

1. Extruder: An extruder is a machine that extrudes metal, plastic or clay through a die. It is used in the process of the creation of objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile.

2. Metering pump: A metering pump is used to add tiny but accurate volumes of a liquid to other fluid streams or vessels.

3. Die Assembly: Die Assembly is used to join the medium to assemble multiple small components up to 6 inches (150 mm) in diameter.

4. Web Formation: Non-woven fabric manufacturing starts with the arrangement of fibres in a sheet or web. The fibres can be stapled fibres or filaments extruded from molten polymer granules

5. Winding: The melt-blown web is usually wound onto a cardboard core and processed further according to the end-to-end requirement.

6. Bonding: Bonding is usually used to increase web strength and abrasion resistance. As the bonding level increases, the web becomes stiffer and less cloth-like.

7. Finishing: Most non-woven fabrics are considered finished when rolled up, but many receive chemical and physical treatment.

Factors affecting the increase in demand for melt blown non-woven fabrics in India:

1. Surging demand for fine fibres:

The melt blown non-woven fabric industry is bifurcated into dual texture and fine fibres. The increase in the filtration industry, along with the surging demand for masks, drive material consumption.

2. COVID-19 and the need for facial masks:

The malignant coronavirus pandemic has driven the need to protect people from this infection, thereby urging the need to wear masks and PPE kits when in public. The most crucial reason to use melt blown PP Nonwoven Fabric for masks is that it is gentle on human skin and comes with low breathing resistance for improved comfort even when worn for a longer period. It comes with excellent insulation and a filtration system.

3. Intense usage of non-woven materials:

The industry has been using more polyamides, polycarbonates, polystyrene, etc., as an alternative for low-quality fabrics in terms of material.

4. India- an evolving manufacturing hub:

India has risen to prominence as a significant source of revenue. Due to an increase in demand for facial masks, this region is becoming a substantial manufacturing base for melt blown non-woven fabric.

5. Consistent focus on product innovation:

Many top market players in the global melt blown PP non-woven Fabric

industries are actively attempting to improve their market share through constant product innovation and improved product quality. To extend their product offering, melt blown non-woven fabric manufacturers are forming a strategic alliance.

Park Non Woven is one of the leading manufacturers of non-woven fabric in India, producing non-woven and polymer products. Their high-quality mask line protects you from exposure to germs found in droplets in the air and are very comfortable and skin-friendly. To learn more about their other product line, click here.