Nonwoven Industrial Membrane Market (2020 - 2027)

Report Overview

The global nonwoven industrial membrane market size was estimated at USD 994.2 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing awareness regarding wastewater treatment is anticipated to drive the market for nonwoven industrial membrane over the forecast period. Increasing demand for freshwater along with less availability of natural drinking water is projected to trigger the product demand in filtration applications. Furthermore, the growing use of nonwoven industrial membrane technology in the food and beverage industry to ensure the safety and hygiene of food items is expected to drive market growth in the coming years.

The market for nonwoven industrial membrane in China is expected to follow an upward growth trend on account of increasing non-woven production in the country. Furthermore, rising population and economic growth resulting in increasing manufacturing activities in the country is anticipated to drive the product demand for industrial applications.

Escalating growth in manufacturing sectors, especially power generation and chemical processing is estimated to drive the product's demand to boost efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Also, increasing strict government regulations regarding the reduction of carbon footprints and wastewater treatment activities across the globe is expected to have a positive impact on market growth.

Consumers are proactively adopting membrane technology as a result of increasing awareness about the potential health benefits of water treatment systems. Reports regarding water contamination are impacting people buying behavior to an extent, thereby boosting the product demand for water treatment applications.

Despite high growth opportunities from multiple application industries, the industry growth is expected to be on the lower side in the current year due to disruptions in the supply chain of the product as majority of the countries are hit by COVID 19 outbreaks. Moreover, trade disruptions and less purchasing power of consumers can result in diminished product demand.

Module Insights

Spiral wound nonwoven industrial membranes dominated the market and accounted for the largest revenue share of over 35.0% in 2019 owing to their wide range of applications in multiple industries. These modules are increasingly being accepted in the pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and dairy industry for purification, fractionation, recovery, and other applications, which is expected to drive segment growth in the coming years.

Plate and frame modules were the earliest type of nonwoven industrial membranes and held a revenue share of over 20.0% in the market for nonwoven industrial membrane in 2019. Although as a result of their high cost, they are now getting replaced with spiral wound modules in most of the applications. These modules are now only used in pervaporation systems and electrodialysis applications.

The demand for tubular nonwoven industrial membranes is estimated to grow in the coming years due to increasing product penetration in ultrafiltration applications. Growing wastewater treatment activities throughout the globe to remove contaminants from water is expected to drive segment growth over the projected time.

Hollow fiber membranes are increasingly being used in biotech and food and beverage application. The growing demand for filtration technology in food and beverage as well as in the chemical processing sector is the primary driver for the growth in demand for hollow fiber membranes.

Application Insights

Pharmaceuticals led the nonwoven industrial membrane market and accounted for over 38.0% of the global revenue share in 2019, owing to increasing product adoption in pharmaceutical production processes. Nonwoven industrial membranes are widely being accepted in reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and other filtration technologies which are projected to drive product demand in the coming years.

Nonwoven industrial membranes are extensively used in the wastewater treatment industry to address the contaminants released during production in various manufacturing activities. Government inclination towards using processed water through filtration technologies is projected to drive segment growth in the near future.

The food and beverage industry generated a revenue share of USD 156.8 million in 2019 and is expected to follow a consistent growth till 2027. The ongoing trend of organic farming has increased concerns about food safety and sustainability which is projected to positively influence the growth in the coming years.

The chemical and biochemical industry registered a significant growth of 5.5% in 2019 and is expected to increase over the projected period. Owing to increasing use of industrial membranes to displace materials from solids such as in the manufacturing of dyes, inks, and pigments.

Nonwoven industrial membranes are used to recover water from contaminated water caused due by mining activities in various other industries including mining, metal processing, paints & adhesives. The growing demand for coal and other mined resources is expected to drive segment growth over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominated the market for the nonwoven industrial membrane and accounted for over 38.0% share of global revenue in 2019, which can be attributed to the large production of non-woven in countries such as India and China due to cheap labor cost and raw material access. The regional growth is expected to be driven by the growing manufacturing sector in emerging economies.

Demand in Europe is driven by huge nonwoven production in countries like Germany, Italy, etc. Furthermore, strict European government regulations regarding wastewater treatment and environmental sustainability are anticipated to result in enhanced product demand from the region.

The market for the nonwoven industrial membrane in North America is expected to gain pace in the coming years due to technological advancement in the filtration industry and increasing adoption of industrial membranes in wastewater treatment as well as in the pharmaceutical sector owing to health and safety benefits offered by the product over other alternatives.

The market for the nonwoven industrial membrane in Central and South America is likely to witness high growth over the forecast time period owing to the growing economic growth and manufacturing sector in the region. Moreover, increasing consumer inclination towards hygiene and health concerns can also trigger product demand in the projected time frame.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market for the nonwoven industrial membrane is highly fragmented due to the presence of various medium and large-scale firms. Players are adopting strategic measures to gain a competitive edge over other players such as acquisitions, new product launches, and regional expansions.

The market is expected to exhibit a low threat of new entrants due to the presence of established brands in the market. Also, high machinery and equipment costs and high overall plant set-up costs are key issues faced by small players, which is expected to keep the entry barriers high for the new players. Some of the prominent players in the nonwoven industrial membrane market include:

• Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj

• Glatfelter

• DuPont

• FITESA

• Berry Global Group, Inc.

• Johns Manville Corporation

• TWE Group

• Toray Industries

• Freudenberg Group

• 3M Company

• Asahi Kasai Corporation

• Mitsui Chemicals

• ExxonMobil

• Fibertex Nonwovens A/S

Nonwoven Industrial Membrane Market