| Non-wovens are defined as flat structured fabrics, | | | | vigorous 9.6 per cent annual escalation rate between |
| such as sheets or webs, not made by weaving but by | | | | 2006 and 2009. |
| bonding and entangling fibers by means of mechanical, | | | | The world production of non-wovens elevated from |
| thermal or chemical processes. | | | | 2.16 million tones in 1994 to 4.43 million tones in 2004 |
| The major non-woven technologies now available, are | | | | with a probable value jump from $9 billion to $15.9 billion, |
| needle-punching, thermal-bonding, air laid, spun-bonding, | | | | correspondingly, during this period. |
| melt blowing and spun lacing/ hydro-entanglement. | | | | Europe and North America, which had the lion's share |
| The non-woven materials produced under these | | | | of 1.35 million tones and 1.16 million tones, respectively, in |
| processes are extensively used for technical | | | | 2004 world production figure of 4.43 million tones, may |
| applications such as surgical gowns, diaper cover | | | | give way to the Asia-Pacific region, which is projected |
| stocks, automotive linings, and military applications such | | | | to increase its non-woven products productivity from |
| as decontamination wipes and geo-textiles such as | | | | 1.02 million tones in 2004 to 1.67 million tones by 2009. |
| insulating tank/lake bunds. | | | | At present, the total volume of non-wovens produced |
| India, firmly well-established in commodity textiles such | | | | from India is estimated at 35,000 tones, as compared |
| as apparels/made-ups at the rear of its tough cotton | | | | to China's non-woven product output of 7.55 lakh |
| economy, has to promote itself into high-value | | | | tones (China is a dominating force in non-wovens |
| products such as technical textiles/non-wovens. | | | | among the Asia-Pacific region and the third largest |
| Non-woven textiles inside the overall technical textiles | | | | non-woven producing region after America and |
| is likely to grow globally at an average 8 per cent, with | | | | Europe because of life-style changes, the rising |
| the Asia-Pacific region being expected to show a | | | | middle-class, and its economy). |