Frost Radar™: Membrane Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems, 2023

Water and wastewater treatment membranes broadly are of two types: polymeric and ceramic.

A polymeric membrane, also known as an organic membrane, is primarily made of any one of these materials: polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyvinylidene fluoride, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene, or cellulose acetate. The membrane is semi-permeable and commonly used for seawater or brackish water desalination and a variety of drinking/process water and municipal/industrial wastewater treatments. It is cheaper to produce than a ceramic membrane, easily scalable, and periodically replaced depending on the usage. A polymeric membrane can be configured for microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), or reverse osmosis (RO).

A ceramic membrane, also known as an inorganic membrane, is commonly made of alumina, zirconia, titanium oxide, or silicon carbide. It is more durable than a polymeric membrane and is more expensive to produce but has a much longer life span and lower operational and life cycle cost. A ceramic membrane can be configured for MF or UF.

Additional configurations are possible for more advanced processes.

A membrane bioreactor (MBR) is an MF or UF membrane combined with a bioreactor for biological wastewater treatment. The membrane rejects suspended solids and allows only water to pass through.

Membrane distillation is a thermal process using a hydrophobic membrane that has a hot side and a cold side. As the hot side heats brine or salt water, the membrane allows the passage of water vapor that is condensed on the cold side.

In an electromembrane, the membrane is charged and placed in an electric field. Ion transport is driven by the electric potential gradient.

Recent advances in membrane technology include proprietary coatings that could significantly improve selectivity and rejection capability.

Frost & Sullivan analyzes numerous companies in an industry. Those selected for further analysis based on their leadership or other distinctions are benchmarked across 10 Growth and Innovation criteria to reveal their position on the Frost Radar. The publication presents competitive profiles of each company on the Frost Radar considering their strengths and the opportunities that best fit those strengths.