Membrane: Global Market Scenario, Trends, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast, 2020-2030

Market Definition

A membrane is a selective barrier; it lets some items pass but prevents others from doing so. These entities could be ions, molecules, or other tiny particles. The size of a membrane’s pore determines how selective it is. They can be categorized as microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, depending on the pore size.

Market Insights

Global membrane market was stood at more than $14.16 billion in 2022 and anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.33% during the forecast period. The European Union, the United States, Canada, China, and other governments have policies that are allowing the membranes market to expand.

The need for wastewater treatment has grown as a result of regulatory requirements. For instance, to prevent the discharge of harmful effluents into water bodies, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed rules and regulations. The Clean Water Act of the US EPA limits water pollution by controlling the sources that release pollutants into the water. The Drinking Water Directive of the European Union is concerned with the standard of drinking water. It establishes guidelines for the level of purity that the community’s drinking water must meet. Regulations along with the growing awareness of better drinking water quality is driving the demand for membranes.

The biggest market share in terms of applications for membranes was held by water and wastewater treatment. Membranes are frequently used in the treatment of water to remove pollutants, particles, and suspended solids. The desalination of water makes extensive use of RO membranes. The need for membranes in this application is anticipated to rise as wastewater treatment becomes more well known.

A lot of polymeric materials, including PVDF, PES, PA, and others, are utilised to make membranes. Due to its great mechanical strength and chemical resistance, PVDF is a material that is frequently employed in the production of membranes. Additionally, polymeric membranes are more affordable than ceramic membranes, which accounts for their widespread use in water and wastewater treatment applications.

Reverse osmosis and Microfiltration are the leading segments in global membrane market followed by Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration. Reverse osmosis (RO) technology is used for waste & wastewater treatment across sectors including industrial, commercial, and residential, hence the COVID-19 epidemic has had a detrimental effect on the RO membrane market. All of these industries have suffered worldwide as a result of the pandemic. Additionally, during the lockdown, the covid-19 spread hampered the development of the water industry. Several supply chain interruptions affected the reverse osmosis membrane market. Demand patterns changed as a result of lower activity and shutdowns. On the plus side, the covid-19 outbreak has shown how important appropriate access to water and sanitation is. Long-term, the outbreak has hastened a number of water treatment initiatives, raised global government spending, and prioritised water in political agendas.

Market Dynamics: Drivers

The Market is Expanding as a Result of Rising Demand for High-quality Water Across Various Industries

As it helps to remove all tiny and large ions, colloids, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens from the feed water, the use of membrane systems is growing to create highly purified water for a variety of applications. Increased demand for membrane chemicals to clean up impurities that have accumulated on their surface during use and enhance the performance of the membranes is projected to follow the surge in demand for membrane systems. During the projection period, this aspect drives the market CAGR.

Additionally, due to the installation of desalination plants for irrigation, farmers are forced to rely on brackish water for irrigational activities, which has an adverse effect on crop quality and deteriorates soil quality due to its high saline content. Desalinated water has replaced brackish water as a result, enhancing crop productivity and lowering operating expenses.

Desalinated water is produced by using membrane technology to treat sea and brackish water, which eliminates all undesirable elements including bacteria, microbes, other pollutants, and dissolved debris, including chlorides, sulphates, and silica. Desalination plants are being built in greater numbers to accommodate the increased demand for desalinated water for animal feeding and to provide all of the world’s agricultural needs. These elements so influence the market for membranes’ revenue.

Market Dynamics: Challenges

High Capital Costs

Due to the capital-intensive nature of the membrane industry, many small businesses are deterred from entering the market. Additionally, the industry is dominated by long-standing membrane producers, which makes it challenging for new manufacturers to compete. For small players, the initial investment needed to put up membrane modules in the end use applications is very costly. Therefore, one of the factors limiting the growth of the membrane market is high capital costs.

Lifespan of Membranes

 Membranes used in separation processes have a limited lifespan due to operational considerations, hence they require replacement after 2 to 5 years of use. Certain proteins, bacteria, pyrogens, and colloids parts accumulate on the surface of membranes during water treatment or industrial processes. The operational effectiveness of membranes is decreased by the fouling and scaling caused by these particles on their surface.

Market Segmentation

• Based on Type, the Global Membrane market is segmented into
  • Ultrafiltration
  • Microfiltration
  • Nanofiltration
  • Reverse Osmosis
• Based on Material, the Global Membrane market is segmented into
  • Reverse Osmosis
    • Thin film
    • Cellulose acetate
  • Microfiltration
    • PVDF
    • PES
    • PS
    • PTFE
    • PA
    • Ceramic
  • Ultrafiltration
    • Polymeric
    • Ceramic
  • Nanofiltration
    • Organic
    • Inorganic
    • Hybrid
• Based on Membrane Type, the Global Ultrafiltration Membrane market is segmented into
  • Nanofiltration
    • Spiral wound
    • Hollow Fiber
    • Tubular
    • Plate-and-frame
  • Microfiltration
    • Hollow Fiber
    • Flat sheet
    • Spiral-wound
    • Tubular
  • Ultrafiltration
    • Hollow Fiber
    • Flat sheet
    • Spiral-wound
    • Tubular
  • Reverse Osmosis
    • Plate-and-frame
    • Tubular
    • Spiral-Wound
    • Hollow-Fiber
• Based on Application, the Global Ultrafiltration Membrane market is segmented into
  • Municipal Water
  • Municipal Wastewater
  • Oil & Gas
  • Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
  • Pulp and Paper
  • Automotive
  • Power
  • Metal & Mining
  • Food & Beverages
  • Pharmaceutical & Life Science
  • Semiconductor
  • Others
• Based on Geography, the Global Membrane market is segmented into
  • Asia-Pacific
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • Middle East & Africa

• All market revenue has been given in US Dollar, while the market volumes are given in m².

Historical Year: 2020-2021
Base Year: 2022
Estimated: 2023
Forecast- 2024-2030

Key Questions this Study will Answer

• What are the key overall market statistics or market estimates (Market Overview, Market Size- By Value, Market Size-By Volume, Forecast Numbers, Market Segmentation, Market Shares) of Global Membrane Market?
• What is the region wise industry size, growth drivers and challenges key market trends?
• What are the key innovations, opportunities, current and future trends and regulations in the Global Membrane Market?
• Who are the key competitors, what are their key strength and weakness and how they perform in Global Membrane Market based on competitive benchmarking matrix?
• What are the key results derived from the market surveys conducted during Global Membrane Market study?