Cross-flow Membrane and System Sales to Rise from $7.5 Billion This Year to $8.7 Billion by 2012

The sales of cross-flow membranes and systems will rise by over 1.2 billion in the next three years. This is the conclusion reached in RO, UF, MF World Markets published online by the McIlvaine Company www.mcilvainecompany.com.
The largest segment will be new reverse osmosis equipment. This includes the typical skid but not connecting piping or other items extraneous to the skid. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the technology of choice for desalination, computer chip wash water, and water for injection in the pharmaceutical industry. Residential and commercial buildings are increasingly fitted with point-of-use RO systems for food, beverage and drinking water applications.
Desalination is the single biggest market with cross-flow system and membrane sales rising from $2 billion in 2009 to $2.5 billion in 2012.

Subject Totals: $ Millions

                                
Microfiltration and ultrafiltration equipment are competing with the traditional sand filter in drinking water plants. Ultrafiltration is popular in food processing. Ceramic membranes have temperature advantages for higher temperature applications in a variety of industries.

Replacement membranes are a growing market with big companies such as Dow as leaders. The equipment leaders include major corporations such as GE and Siemens. There are increasing numbers of Asian suppliers to meet the growing demand throughout the region.

China is the largest purchaser of the cross-flow membrane equipment. One reason is the large number of coal-fired boilers being constructed. These need ultrapure water for the boiler steam cycle. RO is typically used to obtain the purity. China is also an arid country. Therefore purification and reuse of water is justified. China has successfully launched a stimulus program which will boost membrane sales for new municipal drinking water plants, and also membrane bioreactor systems for municipal wastewater treatment.