Demand for Membrane Materials to Reach $4.8 Billion in 2014

Demand for membrane materials in the US is expected to increase 8.0 percent per year to $4.8 billion in 2014.  Growth will be driven by the introduction of increasingly strict environmental regulations for water and wastewater streams.  Additional gains will stem from the rising number of industries with interest in process fluids with purity levels that are best reached with membrane separation systems.  Membranes are increasingly being used to reduce water use and waste disposal expenditures, and to improve water re-use and material recovery in a variety of industries.  These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Membrane Separation Technologies, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Polymeric membrane materials will continue to dominate the market because of their relatively low initial costs and applicability to a number of products.  Polymer-based membranes are subject to an increasing level of competition from nonpolymeric membranes because of the former’s performance limitations in extreme conditions and a tendency toward biological fouling and clogging.  Therefore, demand for nonpolymeric materials, including ceramic, metal and composite types, is expected to record faster growth through 2014, benefiting from better performance in extreme temperatures and greater pH ranges, as well as generally lower maintenance costs. 

As the most established and mature segment of the market, microfiltration membranes are projected to continue to account for the largest share of total demand.  However, more rapid advances are projected for ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membranes, both of which produce higher purity streams.  These two segments will also benefit from their ability to highly treat wastewater for re-use and rising interest in brackish water and seawater desalination. 

The largest market for membranes is water and wastewater treatment, representing nearly half of sales.  Demand is driven by regulations for water and waste streams that increasingly require membrane separation technologies to achieve the mandated results, the rising need for water conservation in many parts of the US and increasing acceptance of membranes in these markets.  These trends particularly affect the municipal and industrial segments.  However, the best opportunities for growth will emerge in the chemical processing, and pharmaceutical and medical markets, as well as smaller markets such as fuel cells and environmental treatment and remediation. 

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.