NEWS RELEASE                                                                        MARCH 2012

Carbon and Non-woven Cartridge Markets to Exceed $15 Billion This Year

The market for cartridges to purify liquids will exceed $15 billion in 2012. The two leading segments will be carbon and non-woven fabrics which will account for two thirds of the total. This is the latest forecast in Cartridge Filters: World Market published by the McIlvaine Company.

Carbon cartridges find large use in the residential and commercial markets where they purify the water to make ice and soft drinks. Non-woven cartridges are also used in residential and commercial applications, but they find the most extensive use in various industries.  They purify water used in various food and chemical processes. They are also used to pre-filter liquids which are then further purified in membrane cartridges.

Metal cartridges are used in high temperature applications such as the purification of molten polymers in the plastic industry. String wound cartridges are inexpensive and are used in purification of paints as well as many chemical applications.

Membrane cartridges are widely used in the semiconductor, power and pharmaceutical industries.   In the semiconductor industry, they are used to purify etching fluids. In the power industry, they are used to purify water used to generate steam.  In the pharmaceutical industry, cartridges are used in product manufactureing.

There continues to be innovations in the media which is being utilized. The use of nano fibers allows higher efficiency at equivalent energy consumption or lower energy consumption at equivalent efficiency.

Asia is now the largest regional market for cartridges.  This is due to the growth of the semiconductor, flat panel, memory and solar manufacturing industries. It is also due to the expanded buying power of individuals and the poor quality of municipally supplied water. Asia will continue to outpace other regions over the next decade.

A number of international cartridge manufacturers as well as suppliers of the media for the cartridges have set up manufacturing operations in China.  There is increasing penetration of the Chinese market by these companies as well as the expansion of exports to other Asian countries.

For more information on Cartridge Filters: World Market, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com//brochures/water.html#nO24