Membrane Separation Materials Market Research Report Information by Material Type (Polymers, Ceramics, Metals), Application (Water Treatment, Food & Beverage Processing, Gas Separation, Bioprocessing & Medical Filtration, Industrial), Region — Global Forecast till 2030

Market Synopsis

Membrane separation is the process of selective separation of different components from mixtures, wherein the separated component can be the desired product or a waste product. This process/technology has become an alternative to the other physical separation processes over the past years, owing to its non-chemical functioning, relatively lower energy consumption, and ease of operation. The materials used for the formulation/manufacture of the membrane are the key to the separation process and include various polymers, ceramics, and metals. These materials are used to make flat sheets and hollow fiber membranes for various membrane filtration systems including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. The polymeric materials are mainly used for this purpose owing to their excellent chemical resistance along with high hydrolytic stability and strength, and ease of operation over a broad pH range. Membrane separation is widely used for the treatment of wastewater and for purifying water for drinking and industrial purposes.

The global membrane separation technology market was valued at approx. USD 20 billion in 2017, of which the membrane separation materials account for a considerable market share and is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The increasing need for water purification and wastewater treatment is likely to be a prominent factor driving the growth of the global market. With the increasing regulations over industrial wastewater treatment operations, the need to control the discharge of wastewater into surface water supplies is rising. For instance, the US EPA has established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitting program under its Clean Water Act, which is likely to favor the global market growth. Also, the rising concern regarding global warming due to the increasing CO2 emissions is likely to boost the demand for gas separation membranes in the removal of CO2 and thus drive the growth of the global membrane separation materials market during the forecast period.

However, the membrane fouling issues and the high price of the membrane materials are estimated to hinder the global market growth during the review period.

Global Membrane Separation Materials Market Share, by Material Type, 2017 (%)

Source: MRFR analysis

Regional Analysis

The global membrane separation materials market has been segmented into five key regions—Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2017, Asia-Pacific held the largest share of the global market on account of the widespread use of membrane separation process in the water treatment, industrial applications, and food & beverage purification. The food & beverage industry in the region is the largest in the world, and rising food consumption as a result of the growing population is further expected to boost the growth of the industry during the forecast period. Increasing use of the membrane separation process for the recovery of valuable food products while reducing the volume of waste streams generated is further expected to drive the growth of the regional market.

The European market accounted for the second-largest share of the global market and is projected to witness moderate growth during the review period. High compliance rates with the EU wastewater regulations is the key factor favoring the growth of the regional market.

The market in the Middle East & Africa is projected to witness significant growth in the coming years. This is mainly attributed to the development of the industrial sector in the region and the rising need for water reuse in the industries due to water scarcity. 

Market Segmentation

The global membrane separation materials market has been segmented on the basis of material type, application, and region.

Based on material type, the global membrane separation materials market has been categorized into polymers, ceramics, metals, and others. The polymers segment is further divided into polyvinylidene difluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polysulphone, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylsulphone, and others. The ceramics segment is further sub-segmented into alumina, silicon carbide, and others.

By application, the global membrane separation materials market has been divided into water treatment, food & beverage processing, gas separation, bioprocessing & medical filtration, industrial, and others.

The global membrane separation materials market has been studied with respect to five key regions—Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Key Players

BASF SE (Germany), Solvay (Belgium), Arkema AG (France), The Chemours Company (US), DuPont (US), KUREHA CORPORATION (Japan), 3M (US), DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, Ltd (Japan), the Quadrant group of companies (Belgium), and Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd (India) are some of the prominent players in the global membrane separation materials market.

Intended Audience

• Membrane Separation Materials Manufacturers


• Traders and Distributors of Membrane Separation Materials


• Research and Development Institutes


• Potential Investors


• Raw Material Suppliers


• Nationalized Laboratories