Market Forecast
The global silicone fabrics market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of over 6.5% to reach a value of around USD 6 billion by the end of the forecast period.
Silicone fabrics involve coating or impregnating silicone on a substrate such as a fiberglass or a polyamide. The silicone-based fabrics have an extended life, abrasion, puncture, and tear resistance, along with UV, oil, and water resistance. Siliconefabrics offer excellent heat resistance allowing the fabrics to remain flexible and durable during prolonged use at high temperatures.
These fabrics are extensively used for heat-resistant clothing, fire blankets, welding splatter protection, weather-proof jacketing, conveyor belts for food production, baking trays, bellows, and expansion joints.
Regulatory Framework
Various ASTM standards have been frame-worked for the specifications and test methods for the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of textiles, fabrics, and cloths, as well as the natural and artificial fibers that constitute them.
These ASTM standards include regulations and tests for apparel, bast fibers and plants, conditioning, chemical and thermal properties, fabrics test methods, glass fiber and its products, home furnishing products, among others.
Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak
A3.5% contraction was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, global economic activity has gained significant momentum after the second wave. The recovery in the global market is expected to hit 4.3% in 2022.
Segmentation
By Base Fabrics
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- Based on the base fabrics, the market is segmented into fiberglass, polyester, polyamide, and others.
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- The fiberglass segment emerged as the leading segment with a significant market share in 2020 due to applications such as welding blankets, gasketing, expansion joints, insulation, heat shields, fire blankets, containment, and more.This is attributed to the special material properties of silicone coupled with the strength and thickness of fiberglass.
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- Various properties of polyester,such as lightweight, flexibility, UV resistance, and shape memory, make it an ideal choice for silicone coating. Extensively used for manufacturing straps, tarps, ropes, clothing, and profiles for extreme temperatures, the demand for polyester coated silicone fabrics is likely to boost during the assessment period.
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- The market for polyamide-based silicone fabrics is driven by its use in airbags manufacturing. In line with the government norms coupled with the increased automobile sales, the demand for silicone fabrics is expected to increase globally.
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- Cotton and aramid are some of the other substrates over which silicone can be coated or impregnated.
By Application
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- On the basis of application, the global silicone fabrics market is segmented into protective clothing, industrial fabrics, clothing fabrics, and others.
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- The market for protective clothing is growing on account of the regulations developed to safeguard workers and employees from encountering unfavorable elements of the working environment. Based on the industry, industrial protective wear can be heat repellent, chemical resistant, cold-resistant, mechanical resistant, and others. COVID 19 has resulted in extreme demand for PPE kits worldwide, which has had a positive impact on the overall silicone fabrics market.
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- Industrial fabrics find uses in automotive, printing, belting, filtering, and processing applications. The demand for industrial fabrics is increasing due to the key benefits of high strength, durability, inexpensive production, good elasticity, low maintenance, and weather resistance. Rapid industrialization across the globe is a key driver of industrial fabrics, which drives the demand for silicone fabrics.
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- The ongoing trend of smart textiles in the market using optical fibers, metals, and various conductive polymers to interact with the environment is likely to boost up the demand for silicone fabrics. Researchers have developed silicon-based fibers which are photovoltaic and can be used to make power-generating fabrics. These long solar cell fibers can be used in applications such as generating power, charging batteries, chemical detection, and as a biomedical tool.
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- The other application segment includes shrink tunnels, electrical insulation tapes, conveyor belts, safety curtains, gaskets, etc.
By End Use
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- This segment is classified into industrial, consumer goods, automotive, and others.
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- The use of industrial fabrics in conveyor belts, insulation, gaskets, hoses, and heat shields is driving the demand for silicone fabrics in industrial end use.
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- Increased focus on lightweight and waterproof consumer goods such as textiles, apparel, and wearables are expected to boost the demand for silicone fabrics in the upcoming period. Increasing health concerns due to sedentary lifestyles results in sales of sporting goods, which drive the global silicone fabrics market.
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- It is used in the automotive industry for interior upholstery, dashboard, door panels, and airbags, etc.
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- The other segment includes furniture, architectural textiles, among others.
By Region
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- North America: Regional growth for silicone fabrics in North America is driven by the presence of a large industrial base in the region. Expanding end-use industries, especially aerospace & defense and automotive, is driving the market growth.
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- Europe: Europe is a well-established market and is primarily driven by the automotive industry in the region.
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- Asia-Pacific: Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing regional market.Factors such as improving economic conditions,fast-paced urbanization, and industrialization drive the global market.
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- Latin America:Rapid industrialization in Brazil and Mexico is projected to drive market growth during the assessment period.