RO Membrane Chemicals Market: By Type (Biocides, Acid Membrane Cleaners and Alkaline Membrane Cleaners), By Application (Membrane Fouling, Membrane Cleaning and Membrane Scale Control) - Forecast till 2027
ID: MRFR/CnM/5557-CR | December 2018 | Region: Global | 105 pages
Market Overview
Market Research Future (MRFR) expects the RO Membrane Chemicals Market to escalate at a decent rate of 7.88% from 2018 to 2025 (review period).
COVID-19 Analysis
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the resultant lockdown, vendors had to temporarily suspend production, in line with lower product demand, disruptions in supply chain, and the need to maintain the safety of employees amidst the escalating SARS-CoV-2 cases. In the US, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, the demand for RO membrane chemicals has declined since the pandemic. Therefore, many of the companies are striving to revive operations by solidifying their supply chains and seek out new strategies to address the challenges brought by the novel coronavirus.
Market Dynamics
Drivers
Intense Demand for High-Quality Water among Industries to Foster Growth
High-quality water is of utmost significance among several industries, which has raised the demand for high-grade RO membrane chemicals over the years. Reverse osmosis membranes are witnessing huge demand for producing pure water for multiple applications since these systems facilitate the removal of small as well as large colloids, ions, bacteria, pyrogens and organic substances from the feed water. The escalating use of RO membrane systems is ultimately leading to higher demand for RO membrane chemicals, as the latter helps get rid of several impurities that are present at the surface of the system during the operation. These chemicals ensure high membrane performance and are therefore, enjoying robust demand across a number of end-use industries.
The demand for high-quality water devoid of harmful microorganisms and bacteria has been mounting in the pharmaceutical sector, especially for applications like equipment cleaning, rinsing and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), drugs, laboratory waters and non-compendial waters. The expanding application scope of RO membrane chemicals in the pharmaceutical sector and more, will most likely translate into considerable revenue generation in the following years.
Opportunities
Middle East & Africa to Offer Attractive Opportunities
The Middle East and Africa will offer attractive opportunities to leading vendors in the years ahead, given the heightened demand for water in view of the exploding population as well as agricultural activities. The RO membrane chemicals market is also presented with opportunities by the expanding desalination industry in the region.
Restraints
High Costs of Manufacturing RO Membranes to Hamper Growth
High costs related to production of RO membrane and their short life span could restrain the market growth in the following years.
Challenges
Nano Filtration Technology to Emerge as a Threat
The nano filtration technology will emerge as a credible threat as it is increasingly being used as an alternative to RO membrane chemicals for producing potable water.
Segment Overview
Applications in Membrane Fouling to Surge Rapidly
Some of the major applications studied in the report are membrane scale control, membrane fouling and membrane cleaning. The membrane fouling category is in the lead and can even cross USD 1,100 Mn by 2025, while procuring an above-average growth rate. Membrane fouling is one of the most common complaints among consumers using RO membranes, which fosters the need for RO membrane chemicals.
Biocides Segment Takes the Lead
Acid membrane cleaners, biocides and alkaline membrane cleaners are the top RO membrane chemical types considered in the report. At present, the biocides segment controls the highest share in the market and in 2017; it had reached USD 600 Mn. It has maintained an impressive growth rate since then and should continue to do so during the review period. Biocides are important RO membrane chemicals that will continue to enjoy solid demand in the coming years. The alkaline membrane cleaner segment could surpass USD 400 Mn by 2025.
Regional Analysis
Asia Pacific to Demonstrate Remarkable Growth
APAC controls more than one-third of the total share in the global market. In 2017, APAC had touched over 700 Mn and has been spearheading the global market ever since. India and China are extremely populated nations, not only in the region but across the world, a factor that has been crucial to the market’s strong growth prospects. Both these countries are increasingly adopting economic reforms, making them hotspots for growth among global stakeholders. Substantial growth in electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical and chemical industries in the region and the resultant rise in the product demand will also fuel the RO membrane chemicals market size in subsequent years.
North America to Emerge as the Second Leading Market
North America is the second-biggest gainer in the global market and is touted to procure a growth rate of 7.15% over the review period. Reverse osmosis membrane chemicals enjoy strong demand in the region most due to the rising need for potable water among the burgeoning population coupled with escalating mining needs, electric utility needs and agricultural needs, among others.
Competitive Landscape
Firms Adopt Product Launch as their Key Competitive Strategy
Manufacturers in the reverse osmosis membrane chemicals industry generally adopt product launch as a competitive strategy to foster their positions. Reputed firms with significant RO membrane chemicals market share also enter into partnerships and adopt acquisition as a key tactic to boost their global presence.
Acuro Organics Limited is a highly renowned specialty chemicals manufacturing firm, with an extensive offering of advanced RO membrane chemicals known for their high efficiency and quality. The company aims to develop high-quality RO membrane chemicals that cater to international standards, backed by an impressive infrastructure with state-of-the-art technologies as well as a robust marketing expertise.
List of Key Companies Covered in this Report
- Applied Membranes Inc.
- AXEON Water Technologies
- Acuro Organics Limited
- American Water Chemicals Inc.
- SUEZ
- Aceepta Ltd.
- Ecolab
- King Lee Technologies
- Koch Membrane Systems Inc.
Recent Developments
- December 2020 – MICRODYN-NADIR has assigned Chembond Clean Water Technologies Ltd as its exclusive distribution for water and wastewater products in India. Chembond Clean Water Technologies Limited will now be MICRODYNNADIR’s distribution partner for products such as AQUADYN UF, BIO-CEL MBR, MICRODYN RO & NF spirals and PureULTRA UF. The water technology firm offers an extensive product offering of solutions such as membrane treatment chemicals, cooling water treatment chemicals, boiler water treatment chemicals, and more.
- August 2020 – DuPont Water Solutions has introduced FilmTec residential RO elements in partnership with Onsitego on Amazon. Customers that purchase Onsitego’s water purifier AMC services will now get FilmTec RO elements and chemicals.
Report Overview
Segmentation Table
By Type
- Biocides
- Acid membrane cleaners
- Alkaline membrane cleaners
By Application
- Membrane fouling
- Membrane cleaning
- Membrane scale control
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :
The outlook of the global RO membrane chemicals market looks very promising.
The global RO membrane chemicals market is poised to expand at 7.88% CAGR during the review period (2018-2025).
Rising demand for purified water, Rapid increase in the global population.
Asia Pacific holds the largest share in the global RO membrane chemicals market, followed by North America and Europe, respectively.
Ampac USA, Lenntech B.V, American Water Chemicals, Inc., Applied Membranes, Inc., SUEZ, Kroff, Inc., Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., Acuro Organics Limited, AXEON Water Technologies, King Lee Technologies, Ecolab, and Aceepta Ltd., are some of the major players operating in the RO membrane chemicals market.
The global RO membrane chemicals market reached a valuation of USD 1,537.1 Mn in 2017 and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.88% during the forecast period (2018-2025). Increased demand for purified water is primarily supporting the growth of the market. Today, purified water is not only used for drinking purposes but also in industrial applications. Some of the prominent industrial verticals that entail water purification include drinking water systems, industrial boilers, food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and microelectronics among others.
Global supply of RO membrane chemicals has also spiraled upwards due to the spurring of desalination plants in various parts of the world. These plants are focused on meeting the rising demand for drinking water. The pressure on accessible fresh water sources are reaching maximum limits, which is prompting the requirement of desalination of see water to make it drinkable. Providing an apt solution to the rising scarcity of water is a tall order. In addition, rising industrial application of clean water further adds to the grievance. Seawater covers around 71% surface of the earth and comprises of around 97% of the world’s water hence there is a greater emphasis on adoption of seawater desalinization strategies. Such factors have created a tremendous market opportunity for RO membrane chemicals.
On the back of fast-expanding end-use industries such as oil and gas, food and beverage, and power generation the demand for purified water has also increased in emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil, and Mexico.
Segmental Analysis
The segmental analysis of the market is based on type and application. On the basis of type, the market is segmented into biocides, acid membrane cleaners, and alkaline membrane cleaners. In 2017, the biocides segment accounted for the largest market share and reached a valuation of USD 621.4 Mn. The segment is projected to witness a strong growth over forecast period. This is mainly attributed to the increasing usage of biocides to control slime, microorganisms and biofilm. Biocides will remain a sought-after RO membrane chemical product throughout the assessment period. The alkaline membrane cleaner segment currently holds the second spot and is likely to retain its position over 2025. The segment stood at a market valuation of USD 478.8 Mn in 2017.
Based on application, the global RO membrane chemicals market has been segmented into membrane fouling, membrane cleaning, and membrane scale control. The membrane fouling segment currently accounts for the largest market share. During the forecast period, the segment is expected to exhibit 8.60% CAGR to reach a market valuation of USD1,177.9 Mn. Membrane fouling is one of the major challenges faced in RO membrane water purification process due to deposition of biofilms, colloidal particles, and insoluble organic constituents at the surface of the membrane.
Regional Outlook
Based on region, the market has been segmented into Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). In 2017, the Asia Pacific accounted for 46.2% market share, standing at valuation of USD 715.5 Mn. The region’s market is expected to witness a strong growth over the next several years. The economic boom in countries such as China and India is providing an impetus to the market in the region. Growth of large-scale industries such as oil and gas, water treatment, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and power generation in these countries is also paving the way for the APAC RO membrane chemical market. North America and Europe are expected to remain important business destination for market players during the forecast period. South America and the MEA are also presenting significant growth opportunities for the market. Construction of desalination plants in many of the CCG and South American countries due to rising demand for purified water is driving the market’s growth in these regions.
Competition Tracking
Key companies functioning in the global RO membrane chemicals market include Ampac USA, SUEZ, Lenntech B.V., Kroff, Inc., Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., Ecolab, Aceepta Ltd., King Lee Technologies, AXEON Water Technologies, Acuro Organics Limited, Applied Membranes, Inc., American Water Chemicals, Inc.
Global RO Membrane Chemicals Market: Competitive Landscape
The prominent players in the global RO membrane chemicals market are Ampac USA, SUEZ, Lenntech B.V., Kroff, Inc., Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., Ecolab, Accepta Ltd, King Lee Technologies, AXEON Water Technologies, Acuro Organics Limited, Applied Membranes, Inc., and American Water Chemicals, Inc.
SUEZ, Ecolab, Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., Applied Membranes, Inc., and AXEON Water Technologies collectively hold the majority share of the global RO membrane chemicals market. Some of the key market players inorganic growth strategies such as agreements and acquisitions to meet the increasing demand for RO membrane chemicals in major end-use industries.
Suez engages in offering water and waste management services through its subsidiaries. It operates through five segments: water Europe; recycling and recovery Europe; international; water technologies and solutions; and others The water and technologies solutions segment offers RO membrane chemicals which protect the membrane from scale, bacterial growth, and fouling. It offers Kleen MCT cleaners which are designed to remove organics, silt, microbiological accumulations and other particulate deposits from ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF) and microfiltration (MF) systems for improving the performance and durability of membranes. In November, 2017, SUEZ and SOLVAY joined forces for water treatment in China; it will help to treat brine from reverse osmosis desalination at Wanhua Chemical industry park in Yantai. This agreement is expected to provide technologies for the innovative treatment of effluents based on Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP).
Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies. The company operates through four segments—global industrial, global institutional, global energy, and others. The global industrial segment is further divided into NALCO water, food & beverage, paper, life sciences, and textile care. These operating segments provide water treatment, process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to various end-use industries, such as food & beverage, chemicals, power, and manufacturing. The company offers membrane chemicals which include, antiscalants that prevent mineral deposits on membrane, biocides, thermal desalination, and others. This comprehensive range of membrane cleaners is specifically formulated to remove mineral scale, insoluble scale, organic fouling, or microbial residue to restore membrane performance.
Koch Membrane Systems Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures membrane filtration systems. It offers engineered systems and pre-engineered modular building blocks; and membrane products, such as spiral membranes, tubular membranes, hollow fiber membranes, and membrane cleaners. It offers products for municipal water and wastewater, metal finishing, power, oil and gas, pulp and paper, chemical, food and beverages, dairy, industrial biotechnology, pharmaceutical intermediate, automotive, and general industrial markets across the globe. It provides membrane cleaning products that help regenerate and revitalize membranes used in food, beverage, municipal, and industrial applications.
Applied Membranes, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of reverse osmosis membranes, systems, and components under AMI label, for both commercial and residential. The company has formulated its own proprietary membrane cleaning chemicals. It also offers technical expertise and assistance in troubleshooting and cleaning of RO membranes for optimum system performance. It sells its products worldwide through original equipment manufacturers, company representatives, resellers, distributors, and dealers