Top 10 Companies in the Pleated Membrane Filtration Industry (2026): Market Leaders Powering Global Purification

In Business Insights
February 09, 2026


The Global Pleated Membrane Filtration Market was valued at USD 1.49 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 2.10 Billion by 2032, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.1% during the forecast period (2025–2032). This growth is driven by intensifying demand for high-purity water, stringent pharmaceutical manufacturing standards, and expanding applications in food & beverage processing, where contamination control is paramount.

As industries worldwide prioritize process efficiency and regulatory compliance, the focus shifts to the filtration specialists who are engineering advanced separation technologies. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Pleated Membrane Filtration Industry—a group of established market leaders and innovative specialists shaping the future of liquid and gas purification.


🔟 1. Merck Millipore (Merck KGaA)

Headquarters: Darmstadt, Germany
Key Offering: Polypropylene (PP), Polyethersulfone (PES), and PTFE pleated membrane filters

Merck Millipore, a business of Merck KGaA, is a global leader in life science products and technologies, commanding an estimated 18% market share in the pleated membrane filtration space. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance filters critical for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, laboratory research, and industrial processes. Their membranes are renowned for consistent quality, high flow rates, and robust chemical compatibility.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Expansion of manufacturing capacity in Singapore to serve the high-growth Asia-Pacific market

  • Development of single-use filtration systems for vaccine and biotherapeutic production

  • Investment in R&D for advanced membrane materials with enhanced fouling resistance

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9️⃣ 2. Pall Corporation (Danaher)

Headquarters: Port Washington, New York, USA
Key Offering: Industrial and life science pleated membrane cartridges and systems

Pall Corporation, a Danaher company, is a premier supplier of filtration, separation, and purification solutions. Its pleated membrane products are integral to industries ranging from microelectronics and healthcare to food & beverage and fuel processing. The company’s strength lies in its application-specific designs and global service network, which ensures reliable performance in critical operations.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Focus on sustainability with solutions for water reuse and waste minimization

  • Development of high-capacity cartridges for cost-intensive industrial applications


8️⃣ 3. Sartorius Group

Headquarters: Göttingen, Germany
Key Offering: Sartopure® and Sartobran® pleated filters for biopharma

Sartorius Group specializes in equipment and consumables for biopharmaceutical research and production. Its pleated membrane filters are essential for sterilizing-grade filtration of cell culture media, buffers, and final drug products. The company has significantly grown its market presence, particularly following increased demand for single-use technologies in vaccine manufacturing.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Strong R&D focus on single-use membrane technologies

  • Expansion of product lines to support integrated bioprocessing


7️⃣ 4. 3M Company

Headquarters: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Key Offering: 3M™ Liqui-Flux™ and ZetaPlus® pleated filters

3M leverages its expertise in material science to produce innovative pleated membrane filters for diverse industrial and laboratory applications. Their products are known for unique attributes such as graded density structures and charge-modified membranes that enhance particle-holding capacity and filtration efficiency, particularly in challenging fluid streams.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Launch of multi-layer pleated membranes with integrated pre-filtration layers

  • Development of membranes with inherent antimicrobial properties


6️⃣ 5. SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions

Headquarters: Paris, France (operational HQ in Trevose, Pennsylvania, USA)
Key Offering: Memcor® and ZeeWeed® pleated membrane systems for water treatment

SUEZ is a global leader in water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company’s pleated membrane filtration systems are widely used in municipal water plants, industrial process water applications, and wastewater reuse projects. Their technology is critical for achieving high-quality effluent standards and enabling water recycling.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Integration of pleated membranes with advanced oxidation and biological processes

  • Focus on energy-efficient filtration systems for municipal applications


5️⃣ 6. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
Key Offering: Nalgene™ and Thermo Scientific™ pleated filter cartridges

Thermo Fisher Scientific provides a broad range of pleated membrane filters for laboratory, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. The company’s strengths include its extensive distribution network and the ability to offer integrated solutions combining filtration hardware with analytical instruments for process validation and quality control.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Product development focused on compliance with stringent pharmacopeia standards

  • Customizable filtration solutions for niche research and production needs


4️⃣ 7. Donaldson Company, Inc.

Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Key Offering: Ultipleat® and Spiralpleat® high-flow filter cartridges

Donaldson is a leading worldwide manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts. While renowned for air filtration, its liquid filtration division offers robust pleated membrane solutions for chemical processing, power generation, and industrial manufacturing. The company’s Ultipleat® technology is recognized for its high dirt-holding capacity and long service life.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Ongoing enhancement of pleat geometry for optimized performance

  • Expansion into high-growth markets like desalination and produced water treatment


3️⃣ 8. Parker Hannifin Corporation

Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Key Offering: Balston® and Profile® pleated membrane filters

Parker Hannifin’s Filtration Group provides critical filtration solutions for a wide spectrum of industries, including aerospace, life sciences, and industrial markets. Their pleated membrane products are designed for high-reliability applications where failure is not an option, such as in aircraft fuel systems and critical process fluids.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Development of compact, high-efficiency filters for mobile and aerospace applications

  • Focus on filtration systems for emerging energy technologies, including hydrogen


2️⃣ 9. Porvair Filtration Group

Headquarters: Hampshire, United Kingdom
Key Offering: Specialty porous plastics and pleated membrane filters

Porvair Filtration Group specializes in designing and manufacturing bespoke filtration and separation solutions. The company serves niche markets requiring high-performance filters, including microelectronics, metal finishing, and laboratory analysis. Their expertise in sintering and membrane technologies allows for unique product customization.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Expertise in manufacturing filters from innovative materials like VIVID™ porous plastics

  • Focus on applications with极端 operating conditions and precise specifications


1️⃣ 10. Graver Technologies (a part of Filtration Group)

Headquarters: Glasgow, Delaware, USA
Key Offering: SpectraGard® and Hytrex® pleated membrane filters

Graver Technologies, part of the larger Filtration Group, is a leading manufacturer of liquid purification and separation products. The company’s pleated membrane filters are widely used in power generation, pharmaceutical, and chemical processing industries. They are known for their technical support and ability to provide solutions for complex filtration challenges.

Innovation Initiatives:

  • Development of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration pleated cartridges

  • Expansion of product lines to address specific industry challenges like biofuel filtration

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🌍 Outlook: The Future of Pleated Membrane Filtration Is Smarter and More Sustainable

The pleated membrane filtration market is undergoing a significant transformation. While traditional polymer membranes continue to dominate, the industry is investing heavily in advanced materials, smart monitoring systems, and sustainable manufacturing practices to meet evolving customer and regulatory demands.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

  • Accelerated adoption of single-use technologies in biopharmaceuticals to reduce contamination risks and validation costs

  • Integration of IoT sensors for real-time monitoring of filter integrity and performance, enabling predictive maintenance

  • Development of membranes with enhanced chemical and thermal stability for harsh process conditions

  • Growing emphasis on circular economy principles, including membrane recycling and end-of-life management programs

Download FREE Sample Report: Pleated Membrane Filtration Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies listed above are not only providing essential purification solutions—they’re driving the technological evolution that ensures cleaner processes and safer products across the global industrial landscape.