Bicomponent Fiber Market Insights
Bicomponent fiber is a two-component fiber, which is extruded from two polymers of the same spinneret, that is, both polymers are constituted within the same filament. Bicomponent fibers are also known as “conjugate fibers”, particularly in Asian countries. The two polymers of a bicomponent fiber have different melting points and are accordingly structured for a specific application. Properties of bicomponent fibers depend on several factors, such as the nature and properties of both materials, their arrangement in the fiber, the relative proportion of both materials, and the thickness of the fiber. The main objective behind producing bicomponent fiber is to exploit capabilities that do not exist in either polymer alone.

The market for bicomponent fiber is driven by the organic growth of various end-use industries such as hygiene, automotive, textiles, and home furnish. Furthermore, exceptional advantages of bicomponent fibers, such as wide range of bonding temperatures, unique cross-sections, enhanced bulkiness as well as liquid acquisition properties, compared to other competing materials (mono-component fiber), are driving an increase in their penetration across industry verticals. The market experienced exceptional growth over the past decade, creating a huge interest among participants.

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the growth of the economy, taking various industries under its lethal grip. Industries, such as automotive, textile, and home furnishing, are proving to be its biggest victims. Despite the widespread impact of the pandemic, the bicomponent fiber is among the few man-made fibers that are recording a relatively low impact of the pandemic in their demand. The sharp plunge in home furnishing, automotive, and textile industries is partially offset by the exceptional growth from the hygiene and medical applications in the year 2020. It is also estimated that the market for bicomponent fibers is likely to record a speedy recovery from 2021 onwards.

Bicomponent Fiber Market Share Analysis
Bicomponent Fiber Market by Material Type
Stratview has firstly segmented the bicomponent fiber market based on the material type PE/PP, PE/PET, Co-PET/PET, and others. Co-PET/PET dominates the bicomponent fiber market in terms of both, value, and volume shipments. Co-PET/PET is used in a wide range of applications in the non-woven industry with having a melt temperature below 110?C. Desirable strength, lightweight, better dyeability, wrinkle-resistance, cost-effective nature, and excellent wash wear properties are key other key whys and wherefores of the product category. PE/PP bicomponent fiber has superior properties, such as enhanced softness, bulkiness, and liquid absorption properties, which have led to its significant demand in the USA and Western European countries.

Bicomponent Fiber Market by End-Use Industry Type
Based on the end-use industry type, the market is segmented into hygiene, textiles, automotive, home furnish, and others. The hygiene segment governs the bicomponent fiber market and is expected to remain avant-garde in the foreseeable future as well. Improving the living standard of people, rising awareness towards good health, and inclination towards the use of hygiene products, such as baby diapers, wipes, and feminine hygiene products, are burgeoning the demand for bicomponent fibers in the segment. Key requirements for hygiene products, such as softness, better fluid absorption, low irritation to the skin, high strength, and high bulkiness, are efficiently fulfilled by bicomponent fiber.

Bicomponent Fiber Market by Structure Type
Based on structure type, the bicomponent fiber market is segmented as sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-the-sea, and others. Sheath-core structure leads to the bicomponent fiber market. This structure type fiber is generally processed as bonding fiber for non-wovens. Typically, these are used in two forms, concentric and eccentric types, based on the emphasis on product strength and bulkiness, respectively. Side-by-side fiber also offers a sizeable market opportunity and is generally used as self-crimping fiber.

Regional Insights
In terms of regions, Asia-Pacific is likely to remain the most dominant as well as the fastest-growing region in the long-term scenario, owing to a host of factors such as a large population base, increasing disposable income of consumers, and increasing awareness of hygiene products such as diapers and feminine hygiene products. Emerging nations, such as China and India, are experiencing a rapid increase in the usage of the bicomponent fiber. North America and Europe have a high penetration of bicomponent fiber and also offer sizeable market opportunities. Among all regions, Europe to be the worst-hit region by the pandemic in 2020; however, the demand in the region is estimated to resuscitate in the coming years.

Key Players
The supply chain of this market comprises raw material suppliers, bicomponent fiber manufacturers, nonwoven/fabric manufacturers, OEMs, and end-users. The key bicomponent fiber manufacturers are-

  • Cha Technologies Group
  • ES FiberVisions
  • Far Eastern New Century Corporation
  • Freudenberg Group
  • Huvis Corporation
  • Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited
  • Jiangsu Jiangnan High Polymer Fiber Co., Ltd.
  • Toray Industries, Inc
  • JNC Corporation
  • Yaolong Nonwoven
  • Kolon Glotech
  • EMS-Chemie Holding AG
  • Eastman Chemical Company
  • Jiaxing Xinwei Chemical Fiber Co. Ltd. The bicomponent fiber market is segmented into the following categories.


Bicomponent Fiber Market, By Material Type

  • PE/PP (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • PE/PET (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Co-PET/PET (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Bicomponent Fiber Market, By End-Use Industry Type

  • Hygiene (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Textiles (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Automotive (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Home Furnish (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Bicomponent Fiber Market, By Structure Type

  • Sheath-Core (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Side-by-Side (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Islands-in-the-Sea (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Home Furnish (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
  • Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Bicomponent Fiber Market, By Region

  • North America (Country Analysis: The USA, Canada, and Mexico)
  • Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, The UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe)
  • Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)
  • Rest of the World (The Middle East, Latin America, and Others)