Desalination is one of the primary forces behind nearly three quarters of a 15% growth forecast in the nanofiltration (NF) market worldwide that will take it above US$ 445 million by 2019 according to market researcher BCC Research.
n its latest report, Global markets and technologies for nanofiltration, BCC has predicted the water and wastewater treatment market will generate 74.6% of the NF market share, reaching US$ 338 million in 2019. Revenues will be “driven by sales of nanofiltration membranes for water softening, desalination, and wastewater treatment,” according to BCC. Growth in the sector is forecast by BCC at more than 16%.
BCC attributed the increased market penetration of NF products to factors including: rising demand for potable water and reduced freshwater sources; environmental restrictions on industrial and municipal wastewater discharges; and lower operating costs compared to, for example, reverse osmosis.
BCC Research nanotechnology analyst Margareth Gagliardi said: “Not only do NF products represent more cost-effective, low maintenance, easy-to-operate and energy saving processes compared to other popular separation methods, they’re also creating new opportunities in the separation and recycling of chemical compounds that could not be previously processed by other means.”