NEWS RELEASE                                                                                     February 2021

Markets for Air Filters, Controls and Masks Changing Rapidly

New ASTM mask standards published this week will very likely result in the demise of a $15  billion U.S. market for cloth masks and help create an even larger market for masks with efficient filter media.

The pandemic is changing the entire market for air filters, monitoring /controls as well as masks.  To date the impact has been a nationalistic trend but long term the result will be the opposite.

For example, the U.S. will be best served by ramping up efficient masks capacity now and then subsidizing exports in future years when the domestic needs subside.

The Chinese economy is booming due to success in minimizing the pandemic impact. Some of the other countries of the world will not achieve herd immunity for years and will be subjected to more deadly variants of the virus. Therefore, the markets for filters, monitoring/controls, and masks will continue to be significantly impacted. 

The pandemic has both direct and indirect impacts on filtration revenues. The direct impact is largest in the mask segment. There is some indirect impact some of which is negative as the sales of equipment using filtration is negatively impacted

In the following graph the present mask market represents 100%.  All other filtration markets are small in comparison.  However, when the pandemic is no longer a factor the mask market will be significant but no longer the largest for filtration.

The near term opportunity for efficient masks will greatly exceed any other filter market.  Suppliers need to carefully assess all the impacts and to be proactive.

Many of the suppliers are international. They have a unique opportunity to help shape the world markets.  The McIlvaine Company with its extensive international research and analysis  provides strategic support for suppliers in this fast moving market.

For more information on the strategic support services contact Bob McIlvaine at 847 226 2391 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.