Depth Filtration Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Media (Diatomaceous Earth, Activated Carbon, Cellulose, Perlite), By Product, By Application, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2025 - 2030

Depth Filtration Market Size & Trends

The global depth filtration market size was valued at USD 2.70 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2025 to 2030. The growth of this market is primarily influenced by the increasing demand for cost-effective filtration solutions from industries including food and beverages, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment, among others. Other factors, such as regulations associated with product standards, safety and consistency requirements in product manufacturing, and advancements in the bioprocessing industry, are also adding to the growth of the depth filtration industry.

Increasing awareness regarding sustainability and the need to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes has resulted in an enhanced focus on wastewater management. Multiple industries have launched smaller in-house wastewater processing and management facilities, including chemical processing, energy & power, industrial machinery, advanced materials, and others. Companies operating in the sustainable energy and environment solutions market have also launched wastewater treatment solution facilities in various regions. This is anticipated to drive the demand for the depth filtration market during the forecast period. For instance, in April 2024, Thermax Limited, one of the prominent participants in the sustainable energy solutions industry, unveiled its newly established state-of-the-art facility developed for water and wastewater treatment solutions in Pune, India. This is expected to strengthen Thermax’s position in clean energy solutions for multiple application industries.

Growing demand for bioprocessing in numerous industries, such as food processing, food additives, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, and others, is expected to add lucrative growth opportunities for the depth filtration market over the forecast period. Depth filtration is one of the key processes involved in bioprocessing as it assists in removing particulate contaminants, smaller debris, cell membrane fragments, and other contaminants from the feed stream.

Depth filtration is increasingly used to recover bioactive compounds from food industry byproducts. This includes a membrane separation process comprising filtration of desired elements from a mixture, such as antioxidants, vitamins, peptides, and others. This allows hassle-free purification and extraction of required nutraceuticals from animal or plant extracts. Increasing inclination towards including dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods in regular dietary preferences is expected to drive growth for the depth filtration market.

The comparative superior ability of biologics to target specific intracellular components or cell surfaces than small-molecule drugs is adding significant growth to the biologics market. At the harvest stage of biologics production, the depth filtration process clears up cell culture fluids by removing particulate contaminants, cell debris, and more. Depth filtration plays a vital role in purifying therapeutic protein products. It also assists in the separation of a few soluble impurities such as DNA, host cell proteins (HCPs), and others. The characteristics such as cost-effectiveness, ability to filter out particulate contaminants, and straightforward post-process validation are expected to boost the use of depth filtration in the coming years.

Growth in the utilization of biosimilars has resulted in a significant increase in cost savings for the healthcare industry in recent years. Increasing approvals by regulatory authorities and growing availability driven by new product launches and ongoing research activities are expected to add growth opportunities for the biosimilar market. Harvesting, purification, and separation of the protein from cells and other debris are areas where depth filtration is used to produce biosimilars. This is likely to generate greater growth for the depth filtration industry.

Increasing investments by major market participants in filtration technology production capacity and portfolio enhancements are anticipated to add growth opportunities to the depth filtration industry. For instance, in May 2023, 3M company, a key player that offers a comprehensive portfolio of filtration equipment associated with bioprocessing and pharmaceuticals, announced its plan to invest nearly USD 146 million in the expansion of its capabilities, facility enhancement, equipment improvements, and full-time resource additions in facilities across Europe.

Media Insights

The cellulose segment dominated the global depth filtration industry in 2024. This is attributed to key characteristics offered by the cellulose. It is a permeable material commonly used as the preferred choice of filter media across industries and applications. A polysaccharide, comprising glucose monomers’ chains, plays a significant role as a flocculating agent, enabling easy capture of particulate contaminants in the feed stream by ensuring the formation of bigger, heavier aggregates and increasing utilization in industries such as pharmaceuticals, food processing, food production, beverages, industrial liquid filtration, and other. In recent years, the wastewater purification industry has also been exploring the incorporation of cellulose as filter media owing to its biodegradable and renewable properties.

The perlite segment is projected to experience significant growth during the forecast period. Perlite mainly uses in-depth filtration processes incorporated in industries such as water purification, beer production, beverage production, pharmaceuticals, etc. Increasing demand for flavor-based beers, growing consumption by young buyers worldwide, and innovation-based product development leading to increasing demand for beverages are expected to generate growth opportunities for this segment over the forecast period.

Product Insights

The cartridge filters segment held the largest revenue share of the global depth filtration market in 2024. This segment's growth is mainly driven by its unique properties, including multiple media layers, higher capacity to hold a greater volume of contaminants, versatility, flexibility of design, and more. Ease of maintenance and minimal time required for cleaning or changing filters also contribute to the growing utilization.

The filter modules segment is likely to experience significant growth from 2025 to 2030. Filter houses with pre-loaded filter packs characterize filter modules. For instance, SUPRApak modules, offered by Pall Corporation, are comprised of filter sheets wrapped around a permeable central core. External straps connect the sheet material to the core. The sheet material features filtrate channels, which ensure fluid flow through the module. Classical DE, ion-reduced, and pure cellulose sheet media are the sheet media alternatives.

Application Insights

The cell clarification segment dominated the global depth clarification industry in 2024. This is attributed to the growing incorporation of the depth filtration process in the biopharmaceutical industry. Cell harvesting and further purification are vital in the biologics industry's manufacturing process. The depth filtration process separates and filters whole cells and cell debris from the cell culture broth for further process. The separation of the desired therapeutic protein from the mixture is simplified after this step. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing utilization of biopharmaceuticals in treating the same are expected to add growth to this segment.

The raw material filtration segment is likely to experience noteworthy growth during the forecast period. The increasing utilization mainly influences the development of this segment in industries such as biotechnology, food & beverage production, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and others. The growth in demand for processed food, ready-to-make or ready-to-eat food products, etc., by urban consumers and advancements experienced by the biotechnology market is anticipated to fuel growth for this segment. Additionally, the wide range of particle sizes involved in the processes, the ability of depth filtration processes to capture and separate a broad range of particulate contaminants, and the cost-effectiveness associated with the process also contribute to the increasing utilization of raw material filtration.

End Use Insights

The water filtration segment held the largest revenue share of the global depth filtration industry in 2024. Growth of this segment is mainly driven by factors such as increasing awareness regarding sustainability and growing demand for wastewater treatment from multiple sectors such as food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and others. Strict regulatory scenarios associated with water and wastewater treatments also generate a greater demand for depth filtration solutions. Product quality concerns, significant growth in industrialization driven by technology advancements and automation, availability of advanced filtration technologies, and focus of multiple industries on resource recovery from wastewater are also expected to add growth.

The food & beverages segment is projected to experience substantial growth during the forecast period. This is primarily driven by the growing use of depth filtration processes in multiple manufacturing stages, including raw material filtration, cell clarification, removing contaminants from liquids, quality improvement, etc. Increasing demand experienced by the food & beverages industry has led to innovation and incorporation of a wide variety of materials, including plant or animal extracts. This is anticipated to generate greater demand for depth filtration solutions in the food & beverage industry during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the global depth filtration market in 2024. This is attributed to the presence of large enterprises operating in the biopharmaceutical industry, increasing demand experienced by biologics and biosimilars, advancements in biotechnology, and the growing healthcare industry in the region. Increasing utilization by the food and beverages industry also contributes to the growth of this market.

U.S. Depth Filtration Market Trends

The U.S. held the largest revenue share of the regional market in 2024. This market is primarily driven by a strong industrial sector operating in the country and increasing investments in biopharmaceutical production and research-based product development. In April 2024, The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) announced an investment of nearly USD 10 million in planned projects associated with multiple novel technology and workforce development projects based on biopharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation.

Europe Depth Filtration Market Trends

Europe accounted for a significant market revenue share of the global depth filtration industry regions in 2024. The growth of this market is mainly influenced by factors such as the increasing focus of multiple organizations on product quality enhancements and strict regulations associated with sustainability, manufacturing processes, and finished product quality. The presence of numerous industry participants operating in sectors such as food and beverages, paints and coatings, chemical processing, automotive, and others is expected to add growth opportunities to this market.

Germany depth filtration market held a significant revenue share of the regional industry in 2024. This is attributed to factors such as the country’s robust manufacturing industry, the presence of multiple industrial component manufacturers, growing demand for wastewater management solutions, and advancements in filtration technologies.

Asia Pacific Depth Filtration Market Trends

Asia Pacific depth filtration market is expected to experience the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This market is primarily driven by growth in industrial sector investments, the increasing number of manufacturing facilities set up in countries such as China and India, and the introduction of stricter regulations associated with wastewater management by multiple government agencies. Growth experienced by the food & beverages production sector, food processing industry, and availability of advanced technologies related to filtration is expected to add growth.

India depth filtration market held a noteworthy revenue share of the regional industry in 2024. This is attributed to factors such as increasing industrialization in the country, the government’s launch of initiatives such as ‘Make in India,’ strong regulatory scenarios associated with wastewater management, and others. The growing utilization of depth filtration processes in industries such as chemical processing, food & beverages production, food processing, and others is expected to add novel growth opportunities.

Key Depth Filtration Company Insights

Some of the key companies operating in the global depth filtration industry include 3M, Merck KGaA, Donaldson Company, Inc., Pall Corporation, PARKER HANNIFIN CORP, and others. To address growing competition and increasing demand for advanced filtration technology-based solutions, the major market participants have embraced strategies such as product innovation, portfolio expansion, and geographical expansions, among others.

• 3M company operates in the diversified technology and science market and offers a wide range of products and services. Its depth filtration portfolio includes 3M Emphaze AEX Hybrid Purifier, 3M Harvest RC Chromatographic Clarifier, 3M Polisher ST, 3M Zeta Plus Depth Filters, 3M LifeASSURE Filters, and others.

• Donaldson Company, Inc. is an engine and industrial air, oil, and liquid filtration solutions enterprise and offers an extensive portfolio of products and services. These include filtration systems, replacement filters, OEM filtration solutions, Tetratex ePTFE Membranes, and more.

Recent Developments

• In December 2024, Amazon Filters Ltd. introduced the High-temp vent filter, specifically designed and developed for the pharma and biotech industry. SupaPore TMB, equipped with features such as drainage layers, polyphenylene sulfide membrane support, and others, is a suitable product for utilization in high temperatures.

• In September 2024, Donaldson Company, Inc., one of the major market players in innovation-based filtration products and services, announced the expansion of filtration services in France, dedicated to the food and beverage industry. The expansion of product and service availability is also aimed at Germany and Austria markets.

Depth Filtration Market Report Scope

Global Depth Filtration Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and analyzes the latest industry trends in each sub-segment from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the depth filtration market report based on media, product, application, end use, and region.

• Media Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Diatomaceous Earth

  • Cellulose

  • Activated Carbon

  • Perlite

  • Others

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Cartridge Filters

  • Capsule Filters

  • Filter Sheets

  • Filter Modules

  • Plate & Frame Filters

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Final Product Processing

    • Small Molecule Processing

    • Biologics Processing

  • Cell Clarification

  • Raw Material Filtration

    • Media and Buffer Filtration

    • Bioburden Testing

  • Diagnostics

  • Viral Clearance

• End Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Water Filtration

  • Food & Beverages

  • Healthcare

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Italy

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

  • MEA

    • UAE

    • Saudi Arabia