Filtration and Separation Market

Market Overview

The global filtration and separation market size was valued at USD 100.55 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 151.4 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Filtration and separation refer to the air and water filters used in end-user industries such as industrial processes, water and wastewater, and others. Pollutants in the air and water are eliminated using filtration and separation. The filtration and separation system uses biological, physical, and mechanical processes to separate solids from liquids by allowing particles, dust, and allergens to travel through the filter's pores.

The filter may be made of paper, cotton wool, or sand. Specific techniques are employed for filtering and separation, such as general filtration, vacuum filtration, hot filtration, and cold filtration. The major benefit of air and water filtration is that the user can eliminate the particles and pollutants and control the air and water quality within the premises and any other outdoor premises for a healthy environment.

Highlights

• Gas and liquid dominate the type segment
• Water and wastewater dominate the end-user segment
• North America is the highest shareholder in the global market

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Degradation of Air Quality and Increasing Focus on Curbing Air Pollution

Air quality across the globe is decreasing due to factors such as industrialization and urbanization. Therefore, pollution has become a health problem globally. It is estimated that the majority of the population in the world is exposed to unsafe air as per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. In addition, it is noted that around 4-5 million people die each year, as per WHO reports. Hence, the major focus is to reduce air pollution.

Additionally, China and India are among the highest contributors to air pollution. However, both countries are turning their focus toward air pollution. Recently, in January 2019, India launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), which provides a roadmap to prevent, control, and reduce air pollution. Similarly, China 2018 released a new 2020 action plan to curb air pollution post-expiry of the previous plan. Likewise 2017, China punished and fined around 18,000 companies for pollution. This high focus on curbing pollution is expected to increase the demand for air filters, driving the market demand.

Increasing Awareness and Sensitivity toward Air Pollution

There is a rise in awareness and sensitivity toward air pollution among the public. The increase in programs and campaigns by various institutions, such as ClientEarth, increases awareness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of State – EPA recently announced Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) 2019, conducted from April 29 to May 3, 2019. The U.S. citizens were educated about a higher risk of fine-particle air pollution and smog and about precautions that need to be followed when levels are predicted to be high. Such awareness programs increase the level of knowledge among citizens, which encourages them to buy air filters. For example, in the U.K., about 20% of people had increased awareness about the causes and effects of air pollution in January 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 from reading and watching the news. As people become more conscientious, there will be a greater need for home and individual air purifiers.

Market Restraints

Decline in Number of New Coal Power Plants

Power generation companies struggle to maintain the performance of gas-fired turbines and prevent the discharge of fly ash from the chimneys of coal or other sources of solid fuels. Typically, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) felts are used for these applications. Therefore, proper filtration is one of the important aspects for them to achieve the required environmental performance. For example, thermal power generation requires filtration to maintain performance within environmental parameters.

Rising concerns regarding pollution and growth in using other fuels, such as gas and renewable energy sources, led to a decline in coal power plants. In the United States, coal-fueled power plants were shut down in 2017 and 2018, totaling about 23,400 megawatts. This reduced the demand for air filters used in the power manufacturing sector, restraining market growth during the forecast period.

Market Opportunities

High Focus on Nanotechnology for Air Filtration

The manipulation of matter at near-atomic levels is known as nanotechnology. In terms of air filtration, one of the examples where nanotechnology is being used is an industrial application wherein nanofibers are used as a performance layer air filtration. Nanotechnology offers many benefits over conventional filters built with cellulose, synthetic, spun-bond, or melt-blown commodity filtration media. Therefore, there is a growth in focus on using nanotechnology for air filtration.

In addition 2017, researchers at the National University of Singapore Materials Science and Engineering also engineered organic molecules from phthalocyanine, a chemical commonly used in dyeing, which can self-organize to form nanoparticles and nanofibers. These nanofibers can be attached to the non-woven mesh, which improves the air filters. According to the researchers, making high-quality air filters with the new nanofibers is easy, rapid, and affordable. Hence, there are ample opportunities for companies to explore the nanotechnology to be used in air filter media, which increases the benefits for the consumers and is expected to drive the market's growth in the future.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global filtration and separation market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global filtration and separation market shareholder and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 2.2% during the forecast period. Demand for air and water filter in the industrial and commercial sectors has increased in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico markets due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. In addition, various regulations, such as National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), have set guidelines for air purification. Therefore, several food and beverage industries and manufacturing units have deployed a variety of air filters. Such mandatory laws fuel the growth of the air filter media market in the region.

According to a report, "State of the Air 2019," published by the American Lung Organization, the people residing next to a busy road may include about 45% of the urban population in North America. These people are extensively exposed to air pollutants, adversely affecting human health and fueling the need for air filtration. Many manufacturers are diverting their attention to smart air purifiers than traditional purifiers. Therefore, the rise in installing advanced smart air purifiers boosts their adoption, thereby supplementing the market growth.

Asia-Pacific is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific separation and filtration market is anticipated to see a significant growth rate owing to rapid urbanization and the presence of emerging economies. Countries such as Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, and others, have witnessed a sudden rise in air and water pollution. Government regulations regarding air and water quality index, an increase in consumer awareness about air filters, and a rise in health and environmental concerns have driven the growth of the market in Asia-Pacific.

Additionally, the emerging nations of the Asia-Pacific region, such as China, India, South Korea, Vietnam, and others, are witnessing rapid industrialization, which has led to an increase in the adoption of air and water filter media for industrial applications such as dehumidifiers, beverage dispensers, and ventilation. Moreover, the rise in the use of air purifiers in the hospitality industry due to growth in the tourism industry in Southeast Asian countries boosts the demand for air filtration in the commercial sectors. In addition, increased vehicular emission, especially in the urban sector, has significantly driven the need for these air filter media, supplementing the market growth.

Europe is a potential air and water filter market due to its advanced infrastructure, easy availability of high-end products, and high disposable income. A rise in demand for HVAC systems drives the growth of the Europe air filter market. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), emissions of pollutants and particles have decreased substantially over the past few years, resulting in improved air quality in the region. However, the concentration of air pollutants is still too high, and air quality problems persist. Therefore, manufacturing hubs like Germany have been focusing on implementing air filtration to eliminate indoor pollutants in the residential and commercial sectors to maintain the ecological balance. In addition, the players in the filter media industry have adopted government regulations and have come up with new products that aim at controlling emissions. These factors provide numerous growth opportunities to the market players in the region.

LAMEA stands for Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Latin America includes Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, and others. Middle East and Africa include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, etc. Rapid industrialization and urbanization have caused air pollution in the industrial centers and the big cities, such as Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, São Paulo, Jeddah, Cairo, and Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, the air and water filtration market in LAMEA is expected to witness a moderate expansion owing to the initiatives taken by the government to improve air and water quality.

Segmental Analysis

The global filtration and separation market is segmented by type and end-user.

Based on type, the global filtration and separation market is bifurcated into gas and liquid and air. 

The gas and liquid segment dominates the market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 2.8% over the forecast period. The gas filter removes or separates particles from gas to maintain quality. These filters are made up of various pads and panels to offer high-efficiency filtration for contaminants and small particles. It filters smaller particles less than or about 0.3 microns and removes airborne contaminants by about 99.97%. Water filtration includes removing impurities and lowering contamination using filters such as screen, rapid sand, media, and cloth filters. Gas filters are used for gas turbine ventilation and air intake systems due to their high efficiency.

In addition, these filters are also installed across HVAC systems in the industrial sectors for the filtration of airborne allergens from gas. The adoption of gas filters in the pulp and paper, chemicals, and petrochemicals industry is driving growth prospects for the market. Also, the natural gas sectors are seeing increased demand for improved filtration products to capture dust and other particles to safeguard machinery, equipment, and engines. Therefore, the growth and expansion of natural gas power plants globally are anticipated to boost the market's growth.

The filters used for air filtration in residential, commercial, and industrial applications include Fiberglass filters, polyester and pleated filter, HEPA filter, washable air filters, ionic air filters, and carbon air filters. There is a rise in the trend of stringent emission regulations in developed countries such as Germany and the UK, which is an important factor in adopting polyester and pleated air filters. The growth in industrialization in developing countries and the rise in demand for lower emissions in industries such as metal and power industries drive the demand for air filters. The factors such as low cost, better emission levels and operating pressure offer growth opportunities for the air separation and filtration market.

Furthermore, construction projects produce large amounts of hazardous dust particles for workers. Before exhaust, such dust particles must be captured through the respective filter. Therefore, the surge in several construction projects, mainly in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, is expected to enhance the growth of the separation and filtration market.

Based on end-user, the global filtration and separation market is segmented into the industrial process, HVAC, life sciences, water and wastewater, and transportation. 

The water and wastewater segment owns the highest market share and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 2.2% during the forecast period. Water quality has deteriorated considerably in the last two decades due to various extraneous factors. Water quality is important to maintaining a clean water source and safe from contamination. The sectors include restaurants, hotels, office buildings, cleaning services, fire brigade, parks, and golf courses. These sectors must set up appropriate on-site wastewater treatment facilities for recycling wastewater for gardening and other non-domestic uses.

In developing countries, residential and nonresidential segments release untreated water and sewage in nearby water bodies. Therefore, the demand for water filtration in utility applications is on the rise in the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region. These countries have implemented numerous laws and regulations on water quality management and require water filtration systems for quick and accurate water filtration.

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is a technology that controls the temperature of an indoor environment along with filtration of air, ventilation, and controlling humidity and moisture. The HVAC system includes a furnace, heat exchanger, evaporator coil, condensing unit, thermostat, air ducts, and heat pump. In other words, it aims to offer acceptable indoor air quality and thermal comfort. The air filter used in HVAC systems includes HEPA filter, fiberglass filter, electrostatic filter, carbon air filter, and pleated filter. These air filters have a MERV rating between 5 and 10 with low-pressure drops. They are widely installed in offices and commercial buildings. An increase in awareness of consumers for clean air and resisting air contamination also fuels the market growth.

Recent Developments

• April 2023- CECO Environmental Corp., a prominent environmentally focused, diversified industrial business whose solutions protect people, the environment, and industrial equipment, announced that it acquired Transcend Solutions, LLC ("Transcend"), a Houston-based process filtration solution design and manufacturing firm with applications in hydrocarbon and chemical processing.
• November 2022- Alfa Laval introduced a new membrane filtration system for multiple applications. It is a new cross-flow, skid-mounted membrane filtration system that can be seamlessly connected to upstream and downstream operations, enhancing process application flexibility.