ABSTRACT
The process of urbanization is increasing, and population growth continues at a rapid pace. Mobility is a basic requirement of most of the human activity. According to the latest forecast (Hunter, 2011), there will be more than 9 billion people living on our planet in 2050, and approx. 1.2 billion cars will occupy the world’s roads. The automobile industry’s yearly growth rate is expected to exceed 5.5% from 2010 to 2015, reaching a value of more than $5.1 trillion by 2015, according to a recent survey by MarketLine (2012). In line with this, the automobile industry has burgeoned into one of the most important business sectors in the last century. Automotive textiles is one of the most dynamic and promising sector of the industrial textiles. It is the single largest consumer of the industrial textiles with over one million tons per annum. Automotive textiles account for approximately 22% in the total market of industrial textiles. Automotive textiles are used for lters for air and fuels, vehicle awnings, air bag cushions, seat belts, composites for structural components, molded parts for interiors, interior decoration for molded parts, seat or protective covers, molded parts for seats, car oor coverings, drive belts, and hoses.
