The need for clean air and water has never been more apparent. During the Covid-19 pandemic, indoor air quality was top of mind, especially as schools, offices and businesses reopened. This increased consumer awareness led to increased demand for better indoor air filtration systems. As a result, more people installed air purification units at home, while many returned to reopened schools and offices with modernized heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Additionally, the prevalence of more intense wildfire seasons has been a cause for concern. Earlier this year, smoke from Canadian wildfires left unhealthy levels of particulate matter in the air, even blanketing parts of the U.S., including the Midwest, the Northeast and South. And in August, devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, left toxic pollutants in the air and water that will reportedly take months to clean up.

Meanwhile, water, soil and other areas of the environment contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have made headlines in recent years. The man-made chemicals have been used for decades in consumer products to make them non-stick and water resistant, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Activated carbon treatment, as well as high-pressure membranes, such as nanofiltration or reverse osmosis, have been effective at removing PFAS, the EPA says.

These examples illustrate just some of the reasons why the filtration market is expected to continue on a growth trajectory in the coming years. In fact, a recent report from Allied Market Research said the filtration and separation market size, which was valued at $98.13 billion in 2021, is estimated to reach $152.05 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2022 to 2031.

According to Christoph Stenzel, president of Filtration at Mativ, demand for clean air and water from end-consumers; air quality regulations from various governments; and the need for customers to reduce energy costs are some of the factors driving filtration demand. “In addition, climate change and urbanization are also impacting the filtration market—think pollution management, air quality and sewage treatment,” he adds. “Our modern life requires more behind-the-scenes filtration, and not just for the reasons we all might think. For example, in water filtration, many people focus on how much water people need to drink. But it takes 3000 gallons of clean water to make a single cell phone. These non-consumer applications are significant drivers of growth in the filtration market.”

Additionally, Stenzel points out that peoples’ mindsets changed during Covid, and they are more aware of how much time is spent in enclosed spaces, such as vehicles, office buildings, or production floors. “And as a result, there is greater need and demand for high-quality clean air and pure water,” he says. “People used to see air filtration as just removing pet hair or dust from their space. Now they see filters as a way to stop or slow the spread of viruses and bacteria achieving a better quality of health and life.”

Earlier this year, Mativ named its newly formed filtration business unit Gessner. Gessner combines filtration media manufacturers Neenah Filtration and SWM, which was formed in July 2022 through a merger of equals between SWM and Neenah, Inc. Gessner’s extended portfolio of filtration products now includes synthetic and glass filter media, nonwovens, nettings, tubes, films and engineered specialty papers.

“With the creation of Mativ from the SWM-Neenah merger in 2022, the filtration businesses from the two legacy companies were like two pieces of the same puzzle that fit perfectly together,” says Stenzel. “Given our shared customer base and the commonality of our filtration technologies, it was a logical step to become a single filtration solution provider and the go-to partner in filtration. The Gessner name carries with it a rich 60-year history and is widely recognized in the market. It also symbolizes trust, integrity, creativity and innovation in the filtration industry.”

With 12 production sites around the world, Gessner can develop and locally produce a wide range of materials to suit a variety of highly demanding applications. Its diverse material and technology portfolio includes media for transportation filtration, water filtration, HVAC & air pollution control, industrial processes and life science. 

Recently, Gessner launched new cabin air and HVAC products that are more effective, more efficient and have reduced pressure loss. There is also a general trend for filters that have a longer life, reduced impact on the environment and enhanced performance. “At Gessner we are constantly innovating to find new technologies and ways to use raw materials for high-quality filtration products to achieve those goals,” he says.

Meanwhile, a new meltblown line, announced last year, is expected to be online at its German facility in 2024. The new line will offer the latest portfolio of products featuring higher filtration efficiency and lower energy usage. 

Like other nonwovens producers, Freudenberg Performance Materials sees urbanization, climate change, stricter regulations and increased awareness post-Covid on indoor air quality as the main drivers in the global demand for high-performing filter media.

Additionally, some demands within the segment are changing. According to Dr. Frank Heislitz, CEO, Freudenberg Performance Materials, on one hand, the transformation of the automotive industry is impacting the filtration industry as demand for oil and fuel filtration in internal combustion engine vehicles weakens. On the other hand, the company sees global digitalization fueling demand for air filtration in the ever-increasing number of data centers while urbanization and climate change are making water treatment an increasingly important challenge, he adds.

In response to these trends, the company recently began offering ePM2.5 and ePM1 media including an optional activated carbon layer to the market for industrial air filtration. The low pressure drop of these products contributes to low energy consumption during filter use resulting in more sustainable filtration. Additionally, in close collaboration with customers, Freudenberg Performance Materials is reducing its carbon product footprint by developing products based on recycled raw materials, most recently with a new flexible sideband.

Nonwovens producer Sandler also expects the filtration sector to continue to grow in light of new legislation and environmental concerns. Metropolitan areas continue to grow and regulations on indoor air quality require new product solutions, says Dr. Günter Müller, Sandler’s head of Sales Filtration Products. “Regulations on indoor air quality in residential as well as office buildings, public institutions and vehicles are increasingly stringent. State-of-the-art technology and electronic appliances place higher demands on their surroundings. In addition, the search for alternative raw materials is just as relevant in filtration as it is in other sectors. These developments present new challenges, but also bring about opportunities for innovation and further development.”

According to Müller, filter media have to combine high filtration performance and energy efficiency, offer stability and resistance, and pose no health risks to processors and users. “While synthetic materials are under scrutiny in almost every sector, the filtration market shows a continued trend towards fully synthetic filter media,” he says. “Continuously developing our product range further will be the key to maintaining our position in the market and expanding our activities. Sandler is well-equipped to do so.”

Sandler develops and produces a wide range of synthetic filter media for HVAC applications, the transportation industry, synthetic vacuum cleaner bags, customized special filters for liquid filtration as well as medical and hygiene applications. Its product range includes fiber-based nonwovens and meltblown filter media for filters classed MERV 1-16 and for all efficiency ranges according to ISO 16890.

Sandler recently expanded its portfolio with various fully synthetic pleatable EPA and HEPA class media that are based on high electrostatic charge as well as on very fine fibers. This enables the separation of the smallest particles such as viruses or bacteria at a high air-permeability. Other new developments include filter media for use in activated carbon filters. With these products, the functionality of activated carbon filters and the optimum particle filtration provided by nonwoven media can be combined in a durable product, for example, for cabin air filtration in vehicles.

Sandler is also growing its range of filter media for liquid filtration. “New mobility concepts require the filtration of specific liquids to protect the propulsion technology,” says Müller. “The latest Sandler developments offer nonwoven solutions for these specialized applications. In addition, process- or drinking water as well as other process liquids can be listed in this context.”

TWE Group also offers nonwoven filtration products for of air, liquid and transportation applications. Discussing new media technology, Carsten Bräuer, business unit director Filtration, TWE Group, says the trend is towards ever finer filtration with higher flow rates and lower pressure drop in order to achieve good energy efficiency (energy savings). “These requirements must be combined with a very long service life, if possible,” he adds.

TWE’s standard product portfolio can already meet the high requirements of the end customer such as the requirements of the DIN ISO 16890 as well as various end applications in the automotive sector. Special solutions are also developed together with the customer.

“The use of suitable and efficient filter products is extremely important, as these play a decisive role in complying with emission standards and reducing pollutant emissions, and here TWE can offer products up to the filter size range ePM1 for pocket filters and pleated filters, among others, for the air conditioning sector,” says Bräuer. “In TWE, we are broadly positioned due to the various solidification processes, so that one can act problem solver in the market and the quality standard can take place on a constantly high level. Liquid filtration can be described as a very conservative market. Trends have been set in recent years. Customer expectations here are linked to a high service level and sound advice in the end application.”

A Changing World

Over the years Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP) has seen changing demands within the filtration segment. Scott Tennison, general manager of Partnership Products for Kimberly-Clark Professional North America, says in the past, end users focused mostly on protecting the equipment and now they are seeing their end users’ focus more balanced between equipment protection and improved air quality.

“With electret-charged media, we are able to capture not only the larger particles that can damage equipment, but also more of the smallest size particles which are the most likely particles to impact your lungs,” he explains. “Our media is focused on raising efficiency to better capture the range of particle sizes, while also being environmentally aware to help create energy savings through lower-pressure media designs.”

In addition to the trend of moving toward higher efficiencies, the recent frequency of wildfires across North America has resulted in many customers using KCP’s carbon filter media to help aid their filtration equipment in removing odor and particles. Meanwhile, users located in densely populated areas are often choosing filters with higher MERV ratings following protection guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kimberly-Clark Professional’s media portfolio ranges from filtering liquid coolants for the automotive industry to air filtration for homes, offices, schools, car cabins, and more. Its media has the most presence in the HVAC market in the commercial, industrial and residential segments. It specializes in electret-charged media which is particularly effective with small particles. “Our media boosts a filter’s initial efficiency and drives lower airflow restriction, resulting in lowering energy usage,” Tennison says. “In addition, the fiber formation along with the capture of the smaller particles builds mechanical efficiency over its lifetime.”

Kimberly-Clark Professional has a variety of new MERV 7 to MERV 15 offerings with color variations, which are used to help distinguish the different efficiencies in industrial settings, as well as media laminated with carbon for odor protection. Its newest developments are focused on higher efficiency products with a specialty in lower pressure drop, which creates energy savings.  

Ahlstrom, another filtration media specialist, has announced several new innovations recently. These include a new Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) filter media portfolio from its brand-new production machine in Turin, Italy. The new high-performance filter media range for HVAC offers longer filter lifetime and lower environmental impact.

Meanwhile, in April 2023, the company launched Ahlstrom ECO, a renewable lignin-based automotive filter media. This technology supports the increasing sustainability demands of the global transportation market and offers a new choice for filter manufacturers. The new renewable and sustainable filter media utilize lignin-based impregnation, with the possibility to replace fossil-based resin. The resin solution contains a significant amount of bio-based, renewable lignin with no impact on mechanical properties and the durability of the filter media, even in challenging environments.

“Segments within filtration are mainly driven by changing regulations, emission and safety standards, as well as by increased awareness to more sustainable raw materials and solutions,” says Noora Blasi, marketing manager, Filtration Division, Ahlstrom. “Examples can be in terms of longer filtration lifetime, high(er) efficiency filtration, lower energy consumption, and the usage of more renewable and sustainable raw materials. We are continuously monitoring the changing needs of the filtration market and have developed enhanced solutions to match them.”

In addition to new product development, Ahlstrom has continued to expand its filtration business. The company has been completing a series of global investments surpassing €100 million over the past five years with the ambition to strengthen its global leadership in filtration. Along with the new line in Turin, Italy, which added capacity for both filtration and energy storage materials, Ahlstrom recently started the production of new, calendered and embossed synthetic filter media for the first commercial orders from its Huyn-Poong plant in South Korea. The new materials offer extended filter lifetime and generate less flow restriction due to a higher available surface area. This makes these media a more sustainable alternative to competing materials. The materials are used for both air and liquid filtration applications, including air pollution control and air intake, as well as water, oil, and fuel filtration. 

Other global investments include a new saturator as well as a new investment for a glass fiber tissue line in Madisonville, KY, a machine rebuild in Binzhou, China, and capacity expansions in Fabriano, Italy, and Malmedy, Belgium.

A longtime leader in the filtration market, Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V), has also been in investment mode. In January, the company announced a $40.2 million investment to add capacity at its site in Floyd, VA. The investment will add more than 28,000 square feet to an existing facility to accommodate new production equipment to meet increased demand.

“H&V’s expansion in Virginia builds off of the long-running need for more synthetic porous materials and does so in a market that H&V sees as a growth area—liquid filtration,” says Mike Clark, division president, Filtration Solutions.

The expansion will be complete by the fourth quarter of 2024 and is focused on extending H&V’s product portfolio for buyers in the food, beverage, water and biopharmaceutical space.

H&V is also in the process of a major plant expansion in Hatzfeld, Germany, where it is adding two new production lines to increase its capabilities and capacity for next-generation synthetic filter media. At this location, H&V completed work on a line dedicated to the production of Technostat electret filtration media at the end of 2021 to better serve the European market. Technostat continues to be a leading technology for commercial and residential HVAC filtration, cabin air and medical applications and respirators.

“Technostat has seen many technological improvements over the years and continues to be the highest-performing electret filter media,” Clark says. “The product line demonstrates superior dust-holding capacity and low pressure drop. Technostat is offered in various weights to meet the desired efficiency.”

H&V also produces Technostat technology at its sites in Virginia and Kentmere, U.K.

Likewise, H&V’s NanoWave product line is made in both Europe and the U.S. for commercial HVAC systems. The NanoWave product line is designed for pocket filters and 1” depth panel filters. Moreover, the technology has demonstrated industry-leading service life and the lowest pressure drop to reduce the HVAC’s energy consumption.

“Demand for filtration solutions continues to grow as air and liquid filtration contributes to health, safety and productivity,” Clark says. “Two general filtration industry trends that are changing the market are increased levels of filtration (higher standards and increased regulations) and increased energy efficiency and higher flow rates. H&V’s advanced filtration solutions provide the highest levels of filtration efficiency with the lowest pressure drop, which means that our products can filter out more contaminants with less energy and higher flow rates.”

Meanwhile, the most recent investment at Bondex Inc. is expected to be complete within the quarter. A 66,000 square foot plant expansion will provide the much-needed space to support warehousing and production in the near future, according to Bondex president Brian Little.

The Trenton, SC-based filter media manufacturer offers a wide range of needlefelt and hydrofelt offerings commonly used in the industrial filtration markets such as air pollution control and liquid filtration solutions. “Over the last three years, Bondex has made significant investments in state-of-the-art production technology which allows us to produce felt with superior quality than what previous technology can offer,” Little says. “[We] can produce fiber supported and scrim supported needlefelt and hydrofelt with the full range of fiber types used in the filtration industry.”

According to Little, infrastructure investments at the state and federal level are expected to create higher demand for aramid filtration felt to support asphalt and cement industries over the coming years. “However, the continued contraction of coal fired power plant capacity will represent a meaningful headwind for PPS felt commonly used in large collectors. In general, the industry is expected to grow with GDP but with potential upside if new regulations for industrial emissions are implemented in the future.”

In Germany, filtration manufacturer Mann+Hummel has been expanding through acquisitions. In February, the company completed the purchase of a majority investment in M-Filter Group, one of the largest filter manufacturing companies in Northern and Eastern Europe. The company, which has several production facilities in Finland and Lithuania, has specialized in different areas of filtration, including air ventilation filters, HEPA filters and oil/hydraulic filters for engines since 1962.

“Joining forces with M-Filter will allow us to strengthen our European footprint and unlock growth opportunities in Scandinavia and the Baltic states,” says Kurk Wilks, CEO and president of the Mann+Hummel Group.
Meanwhile, in July, Mann+Hummel announced plans to acquire a majority stake in Suzhou U-Air Environmental Technology (U-Air). The Chinese filtration manufacturer, which is part of Zisun Technology Co., Ltd, provides high-quality air filtration products.

“China has become one of the world’s fastest growing markets for air filtration, which is why we have decided to expand our air filtration business in the region,” says Andreas Wallbillich, spokesperson, Mann+Hummel. “Mann+Hummel is thus expanding its presence in China and Southeast Asia and serving customers worldwide from there.”