Depth filtration eliminates a variety of particles, including rust particles, dirt, grit, and sand, as well as organic materials. The cartridges, which are constructed from carefully chosen components such as polypropylene, cotton, and glass fiber, physically trap particles and keep them from getting into the filtered liquid at the end of the process. These filters come in various forms, such as cartridge filters, capsule filters, and others. Moreover, depth filters come with different media types, including activated carbon, diatomaceous earth, cellulose, and perlite.
Market Drivers and Forecast
According to OMR Research, the global depth filtration market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period (2023–2029). The key factor that is driving this growth is the increasing demand for purified water. Additionally, these filters are utilized in a variety of industries, such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, the healthcare industry, cosmetics, chemicals, fine and specialty chemicals, and others. Recent improvements in biomanufacturing and depth filter building have also significantly increased interest in depth filter technology for a variety of critical applications.
Other factors, such as the growth of cost-effective filtration methods, initiatives for sustainable filtration technologies, technological advancements, and the demand for and launches of single-use depth filtration products, further support the depth filtration market’s growth. For instance, in October 2022, at the BioProcess International annual conference in Boston, Thermo Fisher Scientific revealed the Thermo Scientific DynaSpin Single-Use Centrifuge system. The technology was created primarily to provide an ideal single-use solution for massive cell culture harvesting. By lowering the number of depth filtration cartridges required to finish the harvest process, the DynaSpin system enhances and simplifies harvesting for cell culture segregation in single-use bioprocesses. When compared to traditional harvest systems, the DynaSpin solution provides similar or improved product output while enabling operational efficiency, cost savings, and sustainable biologics production techniques.
Recent Developments
Key market players include Merck KGaA, 3M Company, Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Amazon Filters Ltd., Pall Corporation, Eaton Corporation PLC, Sartorius AG, Filtrox AG, Graver Technologies, LLC, and Donaldson Company, Inc., among others. These companies follow market expansion and growth strategies such as mergers, collaborations, investments, and new product launches. Some of the recent developments in the market include-
• In September 2022, Pall Corporation expanded its offering of bioprocessing solutions with the introduction of three new Allegro Connect Systems. These systems, when combined with Pall's Allegro® single-use portfolio, provide increased process and risk management by fully automating unit activities that facilitate the manufacturing of a wide range of drugs and vaccines. Allegro Connect Systems' rapidly expanding portfolio comprises systems that support Depth Filtration, Virus Filtration, and Bulk Fill of pharmacological ingredient, as well as join the Buffer Management System to ease the construction of production processes.
• In April 2022, Eaton Corporation announced the expansion of its activated carbon filter media range. The upgraded BECO CARBON depth filter sheets have very strong adsorption qualities for demanding liquid filtering. They are well suited for usage in the fine chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and beverage, and biotechnology sectors owing to their high decolorization powers and adsorptive removal of unwanted by-products, as well as taste, odor, and color correction.
• In February 2022, Netafim USA, a subsidiary of Netafim Ltd., the global leader in precision irrigation solutions, announced the launch of its new AlphaDisc filter in the United States, a groundbreaking new filter intended to prevent irrigation systems from blockage caused by organic pollutants. The key features of AlphaDisc include high efficiency and accuracy in depth filtration, a low backflush flow rate and minimal head loss, a high dirt-holding capacity, and others.