The 2007 market for filter media was worth an annual $21.7 billion, comprising a range of materials, from membranes through to ceramics, metals and coarse porous materials.
Of this figure, around 38% of the value is in materials fitted into original equipment and 62% is aftersales, according to Ken Sutherland of the UK consultancy Northdoe.
Speaking at the Filtrex event in Cologne, Germany on October 7, Mr Sutherland said that spunmelt nonwoven materials for this market were worth $3.1 billion (14.3%) and felts $2.1 billion. Woven fabrics were worth a further $1.45 billion.
The Filtrex conference was organised by European nonwovens body EDANA. The first part of a two-part report from the event will be published in the next issue of Nonwovens Report International.
