Membrane Demand Strong, Says Freedonia Group

Demand for membrane materials will advance 8.2% annually to $1.5 billion in the year 2002, at which time they will account for over 40% of the total value of membrane systems sold. Growth will be driven by the expanding use of membrane systems in industrial gas, medical, and food processing applications, as the dominant water and waste treatment market matures. Demand will also benefit from the ongoing development of new membrane uses. These and other trends are presented in Membrane Separation Technologies, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc.

Water and wastewater treatment comprises the largest end use for membrane materials, and will continue to dominate due to expansion in consumer applications and replacement sales to municipal and industrial customers. However, advances in membrane technology (including development of new membrane constructions and the spread of more effective crossflow cleaning techniques) will prolong the lifespans of membranes, slowing growth in replacement sales.

Among the fastest growing uses for membrane materials is the on-site production of industrial gases, primarily nitrogen, for industrial consumers. The low cost and relatively small size of membrane gas separation systems (in comparison to cryogenic or pressure swing adsorption units) make them ideal for small to medium sized customers which require steady gas supplies without the expense of a larger system.

Medical uses will also record exceptionally strong growth, as demand expands outward from well established niches (e.g., blood filtering, pharmaceutical production, and drug delivery) into a wide range of new uses, including biotechnology research, implantable drug devices and diagnostic devices.

Polymeric membranes will continue to dominate the overall market for membrane raw materials, due to their flexibility, lower cost and performance characteristics over a broad range of applications. However, demand for ceramic and composite membranes (which combine several different polymers or polymers with ceramics) will record more rapid growth, particularly in high temperature and other specialty applications.

For more information: Corinne Gangloff, The Freedonia Group, Inc., 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, Ohio 44143-2326. Tel: 440-684-9600.