Membranes Market

Global Membranes Market Size (2024 to 2032)

The global membranes market size is expected to be worth USD 13.81 billion in 2024 and USD 25.81 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of approximately 8.13% during the forecast period 2024 to 2032.

Current Scenario of the Global Membranes Market 

Membranes are thin films that allow specific molecules and particles to pass through them depending on their size. A membrane is a micro-porous barrier film that allows water to pass while separating unwanted substances from the water. Membrane filtration water treatment is used in water purification systems. Different technologies like microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and others are used depending on the size. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration are widely used in large-scale applications and many water treatment plants worldwide. The global membranes market accounted for prominent growth recently due to the rising demand for fresh drinking water. Implementing stringent government regulations for using fresh and purified water in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food industries is raising the demand for water treatment procedures and enhancing the adoption of membranes. These thin barrier films comprise natural or synthetic polymers, sintering metallic powders, ceramics, or zeolites. The increased awareness among the people and manufacturers regarding the benefits of wastewater treatment, the growing scarcity of water across various regions, and rising water pollution are boosting the demand for membranes for water filtration techniques, leading to the expansion of market revenue. The global membranes market is estimated to grow significantly during the forecast period. The accelerating technological advancements, continuous innovations, and product launches by the market players will provide growth opportunities in the coming years. 

MARKET DRIVERS

The escalating population worldwide and the increasing water crisis demand purified and fresh water, which is contributing majorly to the global membranes market's growth.

There is a growing demand for fresh drinking water, as drinking water is essential for the survival of human life. The rising advancements in technology are playing a crucial role in water filtration as the advancements in membrane designs and effectiveness are enhancing the conversion of seawater into potable water, which is fueling the adoption of membranes by enhancing market growth. People from the Middle East and Africa widely depend on desalination plants for many activities such as farming, industrial, and daily requirements. This dependency is increasing the adoption of membranes for filtration, which augments the global market revenue. The increasing awareness about wastewater treatment and the water conservation process due to rising water crises across the world is accelerating the membrane filtration process by increasing the market share of membranes. The growing demand for membranes for water treatment due to shifting towards physical water treatment rather than chemical treatment methods for maintaining water quality standards positively impacts the market expansion worldwide.

Stringent rules and regulations by regulatory authorities in maintaining the quality of water and water treatment procedures are propelling the adoption of membrane filtration procedures by enhancing market revenue. The increasing demand for treated water in emerging economies is expected to expand the market size in the forecast period.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The chances of using fouling are the major challenge for market expansion as it leads to high energy consumption and affects water or stream quality. Chemical cleaning is the only option to eliminate the fouled products. This fundamental challenge is expected to hamper global market growth. High capital and energy expenses are estimated to limit market expansion due to reduced adoption in underdeveloped countries. The high cost of the membranes and slow filtration speed are expected to affect the market growth by impeding the adoption.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

The increasing water crisis in most developing and underdeveloped countries is estimated to provide significant market growth opportunities due to the adoption of membrane filtration for water recycling and conservation in the coming years. The increasing global water pollution, which is impacting freshwater availability, is enhancing the demand for filtration methods and fuels the market value. Growing environmental concerns are accelerating the regulatory bodies to frame stringent regulations for discharging industry waste into the water. The implementation of zero discharge is new, and membranes play a crucial role in meeting the goal of zero liquid discharge, which is expected to propel the market growth during the forecast period.

MARKET CHALLENGES

The major challenge for market expansion in the coming years is the life span and efficiency of membranes. The membranes used in the separation process should be replaced after 2 to 5 years. During the water treatment process, certain components present in the water, such as microorganisms, colloids, or proteins, form a layer on the surface. Fouling and scaling of these particles on the membrane surface decreases the efficiency of the membranes, which hampers their adoption.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

Global Membranes Market Analysis By Type

The polymeric sector leads the global membranes market due to its extensive usage in wastewater treatment in industries. However, ceramic membrane technology has witnessed an increase in applications in various work fields, thus making it the fastest-growing industry in the forecast period.

Global Membranes Market Analysis By Technology

Among the mentioned variety of technologies, the RO sector has accounted for the maximum market share in 2023, as it is cost-effective in nature. However, the nanofiltration sector is estimated to grow with the highest growth rate in the forecast period, owing to the increasing NF technology usage in the separation of tiny salt particles from wastewater.

Global Membranes Market Analysis By Application

In 2023, the water & wastewater treatment segment had the highest share in the global market applications. The increased demand for water desalination units led to this application dominating the market. The medical & pharmaceutical sector of application is expected to grow with the maximum growth rate, owing to the increasing number of end-user industries worldwide.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

Asia Pacific had the largest global market share in 2023 and is expected to be the fastest-growing market in the forecast period due to its high CAGR, increasing demand for growing industries, and the scope of future opportunities, mainly in developing countries like Japan, India, and China.

The market value of Europe and North America are next in the lead, following the Asia Pacific. The regional advantages offered, like cheap labor and ease of resource availability, make the global market concentrated in the Asia Pacific, making North America and Europe slow-growth markets.

The Middle East & Africa and Latin America regions, being in the low developing countries due to low GDP countries' contribution, have fewer chances for industry growth. Hence, the membrane market in these regions is slow to grow.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL MEMBRANES MARKET

Companies playing a prominent role in the global membranes market include Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), LG Water Solutions (U.S.), Merck Millipore (Germany), Pentair plc (U.K.), Toray Industries (Japan), Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Carlisle SynTec Systems (U.S.), Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (U.S.), GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.), Hydranautics (U.S.), and Others.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• In November 2022, Hydranautics, a leading global membrane technology company, launched ‘K4R-PW1’—the innovative hot water sanitizable ultrafiltration membrane that produces high-purity water. The water is bacteria—and pyrogen-free and meets the quality standards for crucial applications in the healthcare, biopharma, and pharmaceutical industries. 
• In January 2022, Hydrofarm Inc., a hydroponics equipment manufacturer, announced its partnership with AXEON Water Technologies, a California-based manufacturer of water purification solutions. The partnership aims to distribute new lines of RO water filtration systems in the horticultural market. 
• In January 2022, Lanxess, a specialized chemical business, acquired Suez, the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane product line. This acquisition will allow Suez to address the increased demand for brackish water RO membranes. 

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF MEMBRANES MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global membranes market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, application, and region.

By Type

• Polymeric
• Ceramics  
• Others

By Technology

• Ultrafiltration (UF)
• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Gas Separation
• Nanofiltration (NF)
• Pervaporation
• Microfiltration (MF)
• Others

By Application

• Water & Wastewater Treatment
• Food & Beverages
• Medical & Pharmaceuticals
• Industrial Gas Processing
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa