Reverse Osmosis Membrane Support Fabric Market to Reach CAGR 10,92% by 2031 Top 10 Company Globally

Reverse osmosis membranes are typically built as thin-film composites cast onto a mechanically robust carrier; that carrier is the RO membrane support fabric, most often a wet-laid or spunbond nonwoven of polyester or polyolefin, and in some constructions a tricot knit used as a permeate carrier. This support layer gives the membrane dimensional stability during casting, winding, and operation, and it influences compaction, cleaning durability, and module yields. Major membrane OEMs describe the architecture explicitly as a polyester support web beneath a polysulfone sublayer and a polyamide active layer, underlining the structural importance of the fabric itself to flux, rejection and life-cycle cost outcomes.

The global market for nonwoven fabric used as RO membrane support fabric value at USD 148 million, with a forecast to reach about USD 307 million by 2031, implying a compound annual growth rate of roughly 10.92% over 2024 to 2031. Unit pricing for RO support fabrics stand in USD 0,45 per sq mt, varies by construction, width. Applying this range to the 2024 revenue base of roughly implies global volume on the order of about 330 million square meters of RO support fabric sold in 2024.
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Latest Trends and Technological Developments
During 20242025 the most tangible advances relevant to support fabrics have centered on fully synthetic wet-laid nonwovens optimized for membrane casting and on higher-durability composite RO stacks that, in turn, raise demand for premium carrier webs. On February 2024, Freudenberg Performance Materials introduced a new range of fully synthetic wet-laid nonwovens under the Filtura brand, explicitly citing reverse osmosis membrane support among target applications, signaling supply-side innovation in mechanical stability and surface uniformity critical to casting yields. On March 2024, Toray announced a new RO membrane with doubled chemical-cleaning resistance and lower replacement frequency; while a membrane launch, it typically pairs with high-spec support fabrics to withstand more aggressive CIP regimes. In July 2025, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies updated its novatexx membrane-and-cartridge portfolio pages, highlighting adhesive-functional variants for lamination with membrane carriers an indicator of continued productization around support-membrane interfaces. Regionally, Indonesias pipeline of desal and industrial water projects moved forward in late 2024, including Toray-supplied membranes for the Balikpapan refinery desalination plant, a demand signal for associated support fabrics in ASEAN supply chains.
Asia Pacific remains the center of gravity for membranes and filtration materials by both consumption and manufacturing footprint, with APAC accounting for the largest share of the global membranes market in 2024 and sustained mid- to high-single-digit growth expected across water treatment equipment. China, Japan and South Korea host integrated value chains spanning polymer resins, nonwoven substrate production, tricot knitting, and final membrane casting, enabling cost and lead-time advantages. Companies such as Freudenberg (novatexx/Filtura), Ahlstrom (Hollytex grades used as carrier media), Gessner Group (Cranemat wet-laid casting substrates), and Mitsubishi Paper Mills (membrane supports from wet-nonwoven expertise) either operate directly in Asia or supply Asian OEMs, reinforcing regional depth from materials through to element assembly.

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Reverse Osmosis Membrane Support Fabric by Type:
Polyester Nonwoven Fabric

Others

Reverse Osmosis Membrane Support Fabric by Application:
Industrial Use

Commercial Use

Global Top 10 Key Companies in the Reverse Osmosis Membrane Support Fabric Market
Awa Paper & Technological Company

Miki Tokushu Paper Mfg.Co.,Ltd.

Gessner

Mitsubishi Paper Mills Group

Changzhou Kangjie Special Non-woven Fabric

Hokuetsu Group

Freudenberg

Hirose Paper

Zhejiang Qingtan

Guangdong Baohong New Materials

Regional Insights
In Southeast Asia, Singapore continues to anchor desalination capacity and know-how, historically deploying large-scale RO that sets specification patterns for suppliers across the region. Demand is broadening as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines scale municipal reuse and industrial water projects; Indonesia in particular is accelerating membrane adoption for coastal industrial estates and refineries, with 20242025 project milestones at Balikpapan underscoring the role of RO in strategic water security. This activity translates into consistent pull for RO membrane elements and their support fabrics through regional converters and import channels, with procurement favoring PET wet-laid supports and 10-mil tricot permeate carriers in common widths for spiral-wound elements.

Despite robust growth, the support-fabric niche faces three material challenges. First is qualification inertia: membrane OEMs tightly control support specifications because surface uniformity, caliper and porosity directly affect casting defects and module yields; this raises switching costs for new suppliers. Second is cost pressure amid resin and energy volatility in Asia, which squeezes margins on commodity PET supports even as OEMs ask for tighter tolerances and adhesive-functional surfaces. Third is sustainability scrutiny: while the support layer is a small mass fraction, end-of-life recycling of spiral-wound modules remains limited, prompting R&D into lower-energy, chemically resilient stacks where the support fabric must survive harsher cleaning without contributing to microplastic shedding. These dynamics are visible in OEM technical manuals and supplier roadmaps that emphasize support web stability, lamination behavior and chemical durability.
Suppliers can defend margins by migrating from undifferentiated PET webs to engineered, fully synthetic wet-laid or hybrid constructions with calibrated pore structures and surface finishes that improve dope lay-down and reduce pinhole incidence. Adhesive-enabled variants that simplify lamination steps for membrane casters can create stickier positions in OEM bills of materials. For demand capture, aligning with APAC membrane expansion programs and ASEAN industrial customers offers the highest velocity, with Singapore-anchored desal expertise and Indonesias refinery and metals clusters acting as near-term growth vectors. Partnerships with membrane leaders launching higher-durability RO products can also redefine value-based pricing for support fabrics specified for more aggressive CIP cycles.

Product Models
Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane support fabrics are critical materials used in the production of water purification membranes, ensuring durability, dimensional stability, and permeability.
Polyester nonwoven fabric is the most widely used due to its strength, chemical resistance, and cost-effectiveness. These support fabrics act as the structural backbone of RO membranes, helping them withstand high operating pressures while maintaining consistent water flow and filtration efficiency. Notable products include:
Toray Polyester Nonwoven Support Fabric Toray Industries: A high-strength, dimensionally stable support fabric used in premium RO membranes for desalination and wastewater reuse.
Freudenberg Evolon® Polyester Nonwoven Freudenberg Performance Materials: Known for its uniform pore structure and mechanical strength, widely adopted in industrial and municipal water treatment membranes.
Ahlstrom-Munksjö Polyester Nonwoven Substrate Ahlstrom-Munksjö: Eco-designed support fabric providing durability and chemical resistance for thin-film composite RO membranes.
Berry Global Polybond Nonwoven Polyester Fabric Berry Global: A lightweight and versatile polyester nonwoven substrate designed for efficient water flow and cost-effective RO production.
Torayvino RO Membrane Support Fabric Toray Industrie: Specialized polyester nonwoven backing integrated into household and commercial RO water filters.

The RO membrane support fabric market is expanding quickly from a modest base, riding the secular growth of desalination, industrial reuse and municipal advanced treatment. With 2024 market value at USD 148 million and a forecast CAGR of roughly 10,92% to 2031, suppliers that deliver casting-friendly surfaces, tighter caliper control, and higher chemical resilience are best positioned to secure multi-year qualifications. Asia remains the manufacturing and demand hub, while ASEAN particularly Indonesia adds incremental volume via industrial and strategic water projects that flow through to support-fabric consumption alongside membranes and spacers.

Investor Analysis
For investors, the what is a specialty materials niche with double-digit growth, tied to a mission-critical consumable embedded in every RO element. The how is margin expansion through mix shift into engineered, fully synthetic wet-laid and adhesive-functional supports that raise OEM yields and cleaning durability, increasing supplier pricing power and share of wallet. The why hinges on durable demand drivers water scarcity, regulation and industrial upgrading combined with high switching costs once a support fabric is qualified, which can lock in multi-year revenue visibility. Due diligence should prioritize supplier qualification pipelines with top membrane casters in Asia, evidence of process control (basis-weight and thickness Cp/Cpk), and adjacent portfolios in spacers and permeate carriers to capture bundle economics.
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5 Reasons to Buy This Report
It quantifies the 2024 market size for RO membrane support fabrics at about USD 148 million and models growth to 2031 at roughly 10.92 percent CAGR, enabling reliable top-down planning.
It provides grounded pricing and unit-volume estimates using live supplier quotations, translating dollars into square-meter demand scenarios for capacity planning and cost modeling.
It integrates 20242025 news on new fully synthetic wet-laid supports and higher-durability membranes that directly influence support-fabric specifications and margins.
It delivers Asia and ASEAN drill-downs, including Indonesia project signals that map to near-term offtake for support fabrics alongside membranes and spacers.
It profiles leading players with verifiable product lines and application notes, supporting partner screens and competitive benchmarking.
5 Key Questions Answered
What is the 2024 global market value of RO membrane support fabrics and the expected CAGR through 2031, and how do these compare to broader membrane market growth rates?
What are realistic price-per-unit ranges for support fabrics and tricot carriers and what total square meters did the industry ship in 2024 under conservative and base-case assumptions?
Which 20242025 technology and product announcements materially change OEM specifications or supplier qualification dynamics in support fabrics?
Where in Asia and ASEAN will the next waves of demand originate, and how can suppliers align with desalination and industrial water projects, particularly in Indonesia?
Who are the top suppliers of RO membrane support and carrier materials, what are their differentiators, and how do they position within APAC-centric value chains?
Chapter Outline
Chapter 1: Introduces the report scope of the report, executive summary of different market segments (by region, product type, application, etc), including the market size of each market segment, future development potential, and so on. It offers a high-level view of the current state of the market and its likely evolution in the short to mid-term, and long term.
Chapter 2: key insights, key emerging trends, etc.
Chapter 3: Manufacturers competitive analysis, detailed analysis of the product manufacturers competitive landscape, price, sales and revenue market share, latest development plan, merger, and acquisition information, etc.
Chapter 4: Provides profiles of key players, introducing the basic situation of the main companies in the market in detail, including product sales, revenue, price, gross margin, product introduction, recent development, etc.
Chapter 5 & 6: Sales, revenue of the product in regional level and country level. It provides a quantitative analysis of the market size and development potential of each region and its main countries and introduces the market development, future development prospects, market space, and market size of each country in the world.
Chapter 7: Provides the analysis of various market segments by Type, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different market segments.
Chapter 8: Provides the analysis of various market segments by Application, covering the market size and development potential of each market segment, to help readers find the blue ocean market in different downstream markets.
Chapter 9: Analysis of industrial chain, including the upstream and downstream of the industry.
Chapter 10: The main points and conclusions of the report.

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