Pleated Membrane Filtration Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis by Type (PP Filter, PES Filter, PTFE Filter, Nylon Filter, and Others) By Application (Food and Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Water and Wastewater, Chemical, and Others), Regional Insights, and Forecast To 2034

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PLEATED MEMBRANE FILTRATION MARKET OVERVIEW

The global Pleated Membrane Filtration Market is projected to reach USD 1.745 billion in 2025, steadily progressing to USD 3.548 billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 8.63% from 2025 to 2034.

The United States Pleated Membrane Filtration market size is projected at USD 0.530 billion in 2025, the Europe Pleated Membrane Filtration market size is projected at USD 0.450 billion in 2025, and the China Pleated Membrane Filtration market size is projected at USD 0.554 billion in 2025.

Pleated membrane filter cartridges are made of polypropylene and premium membrane. All membrane filter cartridges are produced with comprehensive lot tracing and integrity testing. Membrane cartridge filters are produced, cleansed, tested, and packaged in clean rooms to guarantee consistent filtration efficiency and high flow rates. These filters are designed for maximum throughput and dirt retention. Advanced membrane materials, such as Nylon, PTFE, PES, Glass fibre, PVDF, etc., can be used for prefiltration and final filtration in the water treatment, food and beverage, medical filtering, solvents, semiconductors, cosmetics, bottled water, and many other vital industries. The flow rate of the pleated filter cartridge, which is double that of traditional filter elements and has a larger diameter, is 20 gallons per minute. There are two types of liquid flow depending on the actual working conditions: one is from the inside to the outside of the liquid flow, intercepting all contaminant and impurity particles inside the filter element, reducing pollution precipitation.

Surface filtration is the principle behind pleated membrane cartridges. Compared to depth style filter cartridges, these cartridges offer up to 8 times more filtration area because of their pleated design. The longer the service life of the filter, the larger the filtration area.

KEY FINDINGS

COVID-19 Impact

Halt on Chemicals and Advanced Materials to Hamper Market

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with the pleated membrane filtration market experiencing lower-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels. The sudden surge in CAGR is attributable to demand returning to pre-pandemic levels once the pandemic is over.

The global COVID-19 outbreak has indirectly influenced consumer behavior regarding health and hygiene products. There is a high demand for pleated membrane filtration in various food, healthcare, and wastewater treatment applications, which are the main revenue streams. There is an increasing demand for pleated membrane filtration solutions in workplace settings as health and safety standards become more stringent. According to FMI analyst, "the spread of COVID-19 will have a considerable impact on the market demand. Supply chains have deteriorated across regions, affecting the global economy. Trade is likely to fall in the near term due to the shutdown." Even though there were fields like pharmaceuticals and water industries which faced growth during the pandemic, not the whole market had a good impact. The future of the industry is also expected to grow.

Latest Trends

Rising Demand for Proper Packing of Food to Drive the Market Growth

It has been widely used in the food industry since pleated membrane filtration technology combines separation, concentration, purification, and refining functions, as well as high efficiency, energy savings, and environmental protection. Dairy products, soy products, juices of fruits and vegetables, brewing industry, sugar industry, purification and concentration of enzyme preparations, egg white concentration, separation and concentration of food additives, etc., are the main applications. Since everyone nowadays prefers having packaged and hygienic food products, the pleated membrane filtration market growth can be thereby expected.

• The use of pleated membrane filters in the food and beverage sector increased by 21% from 2021 to 2023, primarily driven by packaged dairy and bottled water processing demand.

• Over 65% of manufacturers have transitioned to pleated filters using PES and PTFE materials, which are now preferred in sterile applications due to enhanced heat and chemical resistance.

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PLEATED MEMBRANE FILTRATION MARKET SEGMENTATION

• By Type

The market is classified into PP filter, PES filter, PTFE filter, nylon filter, and others based on type. The PP filter segment will lead the pleated membrane filtration market share throughout the forecast period.

• By Application

The market is classified into food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, water and wastewater, chemical, and others on the basis of application. The food and beverages segment will lead the pleated membrane filtration market share throughout the forecast period.

Driving Factors

Growth in Pharmaceutical Industry to Impact the Market Growth Positively

In order to create pharmaceutical solutions, a thin polymeric membrane with numerous small pores must be used. Removing viable and nonviable particles is required for sterilising or clarifying the solution. Sieving, trapping, and electrostatic attraction are a few techniques for keeping particles in place. When the pores are larger than 0.2 microns, a sterile filtrate can be produced. Membrane filters come in two varieties: hydrophilic and hydrophobic. The rate of flow through a filter is impacted by the filter's resistance, the solution's viscosity, and the solution's pressure. cellulose, polysulfone, polyvinylidene difluoride, nylon 66, polycarbonate, or polytetrafluoroethylene esters are the most common materials used to make filters.

Usage of PTFE Membrane Filters in Semiconductors to Drive the Market Growth

Liquid crystal raw materials for LCD TVs, and etching and stripping liquids for semiconductor manufacturing, require very strict chemical resistance and elution requirements. Electronics, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical industries use the microporous membrane pleated filter element as an absolute filter medium. PTFE Membrane Pleated Filters from Hongtek have excellent hydrophobicity and can be used in many fields, including microelectronics and semiconductors. Water vapor, volatile organic compounds, acid gases, and other external materials can be protected by this film.

• In 2023, more than 70% of injectable pharmaceutical production lines implemented pleated membrane cartridges for final filtration to maintain sterile batch integrity.

• The demand for cleanroom-grade filters grew by over 18% across semiconductor and microelectronics facilities in East Asia, reflecting increased capital investment in silicon wafer production.

Restraining Factors

Constitutional Restrictions On Filters to Impede the Market Growth

As a consequence of constitutional restrictions on supplies used in filters, some processes become less effective, such as glass filter damage, membrane filter fractures, and Sietz filter consumption of filtrate. Apart from this, repairing filters, especially nanofilters, is expensive as well.

• Filter damage incidents rose by 13% globally in 2022 due to improper installation and handling, especially in membrane housings used in high-pressure systems.

• The high cost of replacement membranes—up to 35% higher than traditional filters—has deterred small-scale industries from large-scale adoption of pleated cartridges.

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PLEATED MEMBRANE FILTRATION MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Asia Pacific to Lead the Market Owing to Rising Population

Water industry applications drive the membrane filtration market in Asia Pacific region. The membrane filtration market in India is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the projected A growing middle class population, government support, and the rising demand for premium dairy products are some of the other factors predicted to increase membrane filtration adoption. As this country's population grows, sustainable purification technologies are becoming more important to ensure healthy drinking water.

Due to the growing number of players in the region, Europe is expected to come in second in the membrane filtration market.

Key Industry Players

Leading Players Adopt Acquisition Strategies to Stay Competitive

Several players in the market are using acquisition strategies to build their business portfolios and strengthen their market position. In addition, partnerships and collaborations are among the common strategies adopted by companies. Key market players are making R&D investments to bring advanced technologies and solutions to the pleated membrane filtration market.

• Merck Millipore (U.S.): The company distributes membrane filtration products to over 90 countries, supporting advanced sterile filtration in over 1,200 pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

• Pall Corporation (U.S.): Supplies pleated membrane cartridges to over 3,000 beverage plants globally, and introduced new filters with a 40% higher retention efficiency in 2022.

List Of Top Pleated Membrane Filtration Companies

• Merck Millipore (U.S.)
• Pall Corporation (U.S.)
• Sartorius Group (Europe)
• 3M Company (U.S.)
• SUEZ (GE) (U.S.)
• Sterlitech Corporation (U.S.)
• Graver Technologies (China)
• Parker Hannifin (U.S.)
• Thermo Fisher Scientific (U.S.)
• Porvair Filtration Group (U.S.)
• Donaldson (U.S.)
• BEA Technologies (U.S.)
• Critical Process Filtration (U.S.)
• EATON (Europe)
• Fujifilm (Japan)
• Global Filter LLC (U.S.)
• Wolftechnik (Europe)
• Cobetter (Japan)
• Pureach (China)
• SS Filters (India)

REPORT COVERAGE

In the report, factors affecting the market from both demand and supply are evaluated and market dynamics during the forecast period are also forecasted. Also included in the report is a comprehensive PEST analysis of countries, which assesses the governmental, financial, and shared factors influencing their markets. Apart from all of these, the report also provides drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trends.