The nanoporous membranes market is valued at US$688.468 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.68% over the forecast period.
Nanoporous membranes have purifying properties such as removing salts, microbes, organic molecules, and metallic ions. Thus, it is used in the treatment of wastewater containing minute contaminants. The rising demand for fresh water is causing demand for wastewater treatment plants and rising water desalination activities. These are increasing the adaptation rate. However, developing countries' low utilization of these membranes is a major challenge for market growth. Various governments are increasingly seeking stringent regulations regarding wastewater treatment in industries utilizing massive amounts of water. Further, the application of nanoporous membranes has been increasing in the medical field. Furthermore, the leading market players are investing heavily in research and development (R&D) activities to expand the market growth.
In July 2023, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was working to develop novel membranes that filter out undesirable residues to analyze methods to decarbonize water and wastewater treatment. Researchers collaborated to improve the energy efficiency of desalination and water reuse technologies. This has been part of the $9 million National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) Pilot Program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office.
Fuel cell performance can be improved with nanoporous carbon membranes. These membranes have mechanical strength, high chemical and thermal stability, durability, and the ability to withstand high pressure. Porous carbon membranes are relatively supportive of catalysts. They are characterized by high surface area, tuned pore size, designed porosity, multiple length scales, and different compositions. Hence, they are a good catalyst support for fuel cells.
In March 2023, Sepion Technologies, Inc. projected its new prototyping facility to produce nanoporous membranes. This would enable a 100X increase in their polymer synthesis capability, a 1000X increase in separator coating capacity, and an ability to make up to 10Ah Li-Metal battery cells in-house. The team continued to fulfill requests from major automotive OEMs, battery makers, and raw material suppliers worldwide. In 2021, the team had an oversubscribed Series A. This increased in-house pouch cell fabrication throughput by 5-fold and increased cell capacity by 75-fold.
According to UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund), 844 million people lack a basic source of drinking water, and 2.3 billion do not have access to basic sanitation facilities. Clean drinking water and basic sanitation are necessary for improving the living standards of children and their families. This is especially important during conflicts, disasters, or among poor and marginalized communities.
The nanoporous membrane can purify water. It can remove monovalent ions, varying between 50% and 90% depending on the material and manufacture of the membrane. One such product is from Applied Membranes, Inc., which is standard for residential and commercial sizes. AMI Membranes has ISO 9001:2015 Certified Facilities.
Technologies such as Electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) offer higher flux and rejection rates than conventional membranes. ENMs have approximately 80% high porosity, while conventional membranes have 5–35% porosity. ENMs are utilized in wastewater treatment.
These technologies can provide a larger solution to the impending water crisis worldwide for communities suffering the loss of livelihood and living space due to desertification and a lack of water supply.
Nanoporous membranes are used to remove salts and metallic ions from the water. There are inorganic, organic, and inorganic-organic hybrid nanoporous membranes for water filtration. They are classified according to their material composition. Ceramics, graphene, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the most common inorganic membrane materials. The demand for desalination technology is increasing due to the global demand for freshwater. The Nanofilter in textile water offered by Fraunhofer IKTS has a pH value ranging from 3 to 13 and a temperature ranging from 20 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius.
Nanoporous materials are utilized in medical applications such as implantable drug delivery systems, bioartificial organs, and other novel medical devices. Advancements in nanofabrication technology are leading to the development of precise control of the pore size, pore distribution, porosity, and chemical properties of pores in nanoporous materials. Thus, these materials are useful in regulating at the molecular level. They are utilized in implantable devices, including biocompatibility and anti-biofouling behavior as well.
By geography, the global coating additives market has been segmented into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The major economies like China, Japan, India, and South Korea dominate the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the fastest-growing emerging economies are from this region, such as ASEAN countries.
The nanoporous membranes market is segmented and analyzed as follows: