Abstract
Demand to grow more than 8% annually through 2012
US demand for membrane materials is expected to increase 8.2 percent per year
to $4.3 billion in 2012. Advances will be driven by the ongoing penetration of
membranes into key markets such as water and wastewater treatment, and food
and beverage processing, largely at the expense of conventional filtration
equipment that cannot equal the performance attributes of membranes. This
trend has been prompted by the need to comply with strict regulations
pertaining to water and wastewater quality, as well as an increasing interest
in process fluids with higher purity levels. Additional factors driving gains
include the ability of membranes to reduce water use and waste disposal
expenditures, and to improve water and material recovery and reuse.
Demand for nonpolymeric materials, including ceramic, metal and composite
types, is expected to record double-digit growth through 2012, due to their
better performance in extreme temperatures and greater pH ranges. However,
polymeric membrane materials will continue to dominate the market because they
have lower initial costs and greater product flexibility than nonpolymeric
materials. Cellulosic membranes, the least expensive materials, accounted for
the largest share of polymeric membranes -- nearly 60 percent in value terms
-- in 2007, although that share is slowly declining.
Study coverage
It presents historical demand data (1997, 2002, 2007) plus forecasts for 2012
and 2017 by type, application and market. The study also considers market
environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 39
competitors in the US industry.
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