The Global Glassy Polyimide Membrane Materials Market was valued at USD 1.05 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 1.65 Billion by 2030, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.5% during the forecast period (2024–2030). This growth is driven by increasing demand for energy-efficient gas separation processes, stringent environmental regulations, and the widespread adoption of membrane technology across the oil & gas, semiconductor, and medical sectors.
As industries worldwide pivot towards sustainability and operational efficiency, glassy polyimide membranes have emerged as a critical enabling technology for gas purification and separation. These high-performance materials offer exceptional thermal stability, chemical resistance, and precise selectivity. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Glassy Polyimide Membrane Materials Industry—a mix of industrial gas giants, specialty chemical producers, and membrane technology innovators shaping the future of separation science.
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🔟 1. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Headquarters: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
Key Offering: PRISM® Membranes, including glassy polyimide-based systems for hydrogen recovery and natural gas treatment.
Air Products is a global leader in industrial gases and a pioneer in membrane separation technology. The company’s PRISM® membrane systems, utilizing advanced glassy polyimide materials, are deployed worldwide for hydrogen purification, biogas upgrading, and air separation, serving the refining, chemical, and manufacturing industries.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Pioneer in hollow fiber membrane technology for large-scale gas separation
- Continuous R&D to enhance membrane selectivity and flux for challenging gas pairs (e.g., CO2/CH4, H2/CO)
- Strategic focus on hydrogen economy applications and carbon capture solutions
9️⃣ 2. Air Liquide
Headquarters: Paris, France
Key Offering: MEDAL™ membranes (via its acquisition of Airgas), glassy polyimide membranes for air separation and gas purification.
Air Liquide, through its MEDAL membrane technology division, is a major force in the glassy polyimide membrane market. Its high-performance membranes are critical for nitrogen generation, oxygen enrichment, and natural gas dehydration, offering reliability and energy savings to a diverse industrial clientele.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Extensive portfolio of polyimide hollow fiber membranes
- Strong focus on lifecycle cost reduction and operational efficiency for customers
- Integration of membrane systems with other gas separation technologies (PSA, cryogenics)
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8️⃣ 3. Evonik Industries AG
Headquarters: Essen, Germany
Key Offering: SEPURAN® membranes, high-performance polyimide membranes for biogas upgrading and helium recovery.
Evonik is a specialty chemicals leader with a strong position in high-performance polymers. Its SEPURAN® product line, based on a proprietary polyimide, is renowned for its exceptional selectivity in separating methane from carbon dioxide, making it a preferred choice for biogas-to-biomethane plants globally.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Leading innovator in green gas purification technologies
- Strategic expansion of production capacity to meet rising demand for biogas upgrading
- Development of customized membrane solutions for niche applications like helium extraction
7️⃣ 4. UBE Corporation
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Upllex® polyimide resins and membranes, specialized gas separation modules.
UBE Corporation is a key Japanese manufacturer of advanced materials, including its Upllex® range of polyimides. The company supplies high-purity polyimide materials for membrane fabrication and also develops its own gas separation modules, particularly for the Asian semiconductor and petrochemical markets.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Vertical integration from high-purity polyimide polymer production to module manufacturing
- Strong focus on the high-growth semiconductor industry for ultra-high-purity gas delivery
- Collaborative R&D with end-users to develop application-specific membrane solutions
6️⃣ 5. Generon IGS (Mitsubishi Corporation)
Headquarters: Houston, Texas, USA
Key Offering: Hollow fiber membrane systems for on-site nitrogen generation.
Generon, a part of Mitsubishi Corporation, is a leading provider of membrane-based nitrogen generation systems. The company utilizes glassy polyimide membranes to produce high-purity nitrogen from compressed air for a wide range of applications, including offshore platforms, chemical processing, and food packaging.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Market leader in modular, on-site nitrogen generation systems
- Focus on robust and reliable designs for harsh operating environments (offshore, deserts)
- Expansion into emerging applications such as inerting and purging in renewable energy
5️⃣ 6. Grasys
Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
Key Offering: Membrane gas separation systems for nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen.
Grasys is a prominent player in the CIS region and international markets, specializing in the engineering and manufacturing of gas separation equipment. The company’s membrane systems, based on polyimide technology, are used for nitrogen generation, fuel gas conditioning, and other industrial gas applications.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Strong regional presence and engineering capabilities in Eastern Europe and Asia
- Diversified product portfolio catering to both large-scale industrial and compact mobile units
- Custom engineering solutions for specific client process requirements
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4️⃣ 7. Airrane (Schlumberger)
Headquarters: Claremore, Oklahoma, USA (Part of Schlumberger’s Cameron division)
Key Offering: Nitrogen membrane systems for oil & gas applications.
Airrane, under the umbrella of the energy technology giant Schlumberger, specializes in nitrogen generation for the oil and gas industry. Its membrane systems are critical for enhanced oil recovery, well stimulation, and pipeline commissioning, leveraging the durability of glassy polyimide membranes in demanding field conditions.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Deep integration with Schlumberger’s extensive oilfield services portfolio
- Focus on high-flow, high-pressure systems for upstream oil & gas operations
- Emphasis on reliability and safety in hazardous environments
3️⃣ 8. Linde Engineering
Headquarters: Pullach, Germany
Key Offering: Engineering and supply of gas separation plants, including membrane-based units.
Linde Engineering, a division of Linde plc, is a top-tier engineering and technology provider for the industrial gas and process industries. While known for cryogenic plants, Linde also offers hybrid and standalone membrane systems utilizing glassy polyimide membranes for specific separations like hydrogen recovery and natural gas treatment.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Expertise in integrating membrane technology with traditional separation processes (cryogenic, PSA) for optimal efficiency
- Strong project execution capabilities for large-scale, complex industrial plants
- R&D focused on next-generation materials and process design for carbon capture and utilization (CCU)
2️⃣ 9. Tiandun Membrane Technology Co., Ltd. (Tianbang)
Headquarters: Nantong, Jiangsu, China
Key Offering: VaporSep® polyimide membranes for vapor/gas separation.
Tianbang Membrane Technology is a leading Chinese manufacturer specializing in polyimide-based membrane materials and modules. The company’s VaporSep® products are widely used for hydrocarbon vapor recovery, solvent recovery, and other organic vapor separation processes, showcasing the versatility of glassy polyimides beyond permanent gas separation.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Focus on niche applications for hydrocarbon and solvent recovery, reducing VOC emissions and recovering valuable products
- Rapidly expanding production capacity to serve the growing Asian market
- Cost-competitive manufacturing enabling wider adoption of membrane technology
1️⃣ 10. Fujifilm
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Fujifilm Gas Separation Membranes, including hollow fiber modules for CO2 removal.
Fujifilm, renowned for its imaging and healthcare technologies, has successfully leveraged its expertise in thin-film fabrication to enter the gas separation membrane market. The company develops advanced glassy polyimide membrane modules, with a strong focus on carbon dioxide removal from natural gas and biogas streams.
Innovation & Market Strategy:
- Application of proprietary polymer synthesis and coating technologies from other business units
- Strategic partnerships with engineering companies to deploy membrane systems globally
- Strong emphasis on research for improving membrane performance under high CO2 partial pressures
Get Full Report Here: Glassy Polyimide Membrane Materials Market – View in Detailed Research Report
🔬 Outlook: The Future of Glassy Polyimide Membranes Is High-Performance and Sustainable
The glassy polyimide membrane materials market is experiencing a significant transformation. The drive for energy efficiency, emission reduction, and process intensification across heavy industries is pushing the boundaries of membrane performance. The industry is investing heavily in next-generation materials, modular system designs, and digital integration.
📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:
- Accelerated adoption in biogas upgrading and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects
- Development of mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) incorporating nanomaterials like MOFs and graphene to surpass Robeson upper-bound limits
- Growing demand from the semiconductor industry for ultra-high-purity gas supply during chip fabrication
- Increasing use of digital twins and AI for predictive maintenance and optimization of membrane systems
Get Full Report Here: Glassy Polyimide Membrane Materials Market – View in Detailed Research Report
The companies profiled above are not just supplying materials—they are providing critical separation solutions that enable cleaner industrial processes and a more sustainable future.
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