Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Chinese government has implemented measures such as extended holidays and home quarantine, which have played a positive role in controlling the spread of the virus.

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a list of key materials for epidemic prevention, highlighting laminated spunbond fabric, breathable film, and meltblown nonwovens as critical raw materials for medical protective clothing, masks, goggles, gloves, medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and disinfection supplies. Demand for these materials has surged, far exceeding supply.
 

Why Is Meltblown Nonwoven Fabric So Hard to Obtain?

Meltblown PP nonwoven fabric is a key material for masks and medical protective clothing. With the increase in manufacturers producing these protective items, the demand for raw materials has skyrocketed. Many manufacturers have lamented, "We have mask-making machines but no meltblown fabric!"

Currently, while several domestic companies have experience in producing meltblown nonwovens, the high cost of production equipment makes it difficult for most enterprises to quickly establish production lines, unlike the automated assembly of mask machines. The shortage stems from limited raw material supply, few production lines, low output, delayed work resumption, and overwhelming demand.

Before the Spring Festival, only a few suppliers—such as Dawn, Shengjin, and Basel—provided the raw materials. Recently, several domestic modified material manufacturers, including Polyrocks Chemical, have introduced meltblown-modified materials to help alleviate the supply shortage.

5002MB1500 is a specialized meltblown polypropylene (PP) material primarily composed of polypropylene resin, manufactured through controlled rheology methods. This advanced material maintains a stable melt flow rate ranging between 1500-1800g/10min and exhibits superior characteristics including narrow molecular weight distribution, low odor, minimal ash content, and excellent spinning performance, fully meeting the production requirements for meltblown polypropylene nonwoven fabrics.

Technical Specifications

Introduction to Meltblown Technology

Since Exxon Corporation commercialized meltblown technology in the 1960s, meltblown spinning technology has experienced rapid development. Meltblown nonwovens can be precisely engineered to achieve desired filtration functions, systematically replacing traditional materials across various applications. The unique structure of meltblown nonwovens features ultrafine fibers (0.015 denier) that form a three-dimensional tortuous path through self-bonding and entanglement, fundamentally different from conventional textiles or carded nonwovens. This distinctive architecture provides meltblown nonwovens with significantly larger specific surface area, higher porosity (≥80%), and finer pore structure (pore size ≤1μm), delivering filtration performance that far surpasses ordinary filter materials.

Meltblown Process Overview

The meltblown process represents an efficient, single-step transformation from thermoplastic resin chips to finished fiber web (fabric/core tube), characterized by short production cycles and high manufacturing efficiency. By precisely adjusting process parameters, manufacturers can control fiber diameter (0.5-30μm) and web pore structure to meet diverse filtration requirements. This versatile technology accommodates various materials including polypropylene, polyester, and nylon, with polypropylene currently dominating over 95% of applications. The fiber web structure forms through thermal self-bonding without chemical adhesives or additives, ensuring an entirely pollution-free production process.

Meltblown-grade PP distinguishes itself through ultra-high melt flow index (typically 1200, 1600, or 1800), stable fluidity, narrow molecular weight distribution, low ash content, absence of residual byproducts, and superior spinning performance. This specialized material is derived from controlled rheology modification of conventional PP through peroxide degradation processes