The market for membrane water treatment chemicals in South America is expected to grow at with a CAGR greater than 6% during the forecast period. One of the major factors that is driving the market studied is the growing demand for freshwater in South America. However, high capital cost is restraining the demand for membrane water treatment chemicals in South America region.

  • Among the chemical types, pre-treatment chemicals accounted for the highest market share and are expected to continue dominating the market during forecast period.
  • Growing usage of membrane bioreactors is expected to provide a major growth opportunity for the market studied.
  • Chile is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period owing to growing demand from municipal and industrial applications.



Key Market Trends

Pre-treatment chemicals to dominate the Market

  • To increase the lifetime and efficiency of the membranes, pre-treatment is performed on the feed water before allowing them to enter a membrane system. The major chemicals which are used in the pre-treatment phase are flocculants, coagulants, anti-scalants.
  • Coagulants neutralize the negative electrical charge present on the harmful colloidal particles and destabilize the forces keeping colloids apart. Water treatment coagulants are comprised of positively charged molecules that when added to the contaminated water and mixed, accomplish this charge neutralization.
  • Flocculants are substances that promote the clumping of destabilized particles, which are obtained after being treated with coagulants; the coagulants neutralize the charge on colloidal particles responsible for keeping them apart. These agents promote flocculation by causing colloids and other suspended particles to aggregate and drop out of the liquid.
  • Anti-scalant chemicals are used for the pretreatment of membranes and to increase the durability of the membrane water treatment system. The anti-scalants control the scales formed by calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, iron, strontium sulfate, calcium fluoride, silica, colloidal material and other organic & inorganic contaminants of the membrane system.
  • Additionally, the increasing health concerns over the consumption of freshwater in South America have driven the market for RO water system in household water treatment for drinking purposes and thus increasing the consumption of pre-treatment chemicals.
  • Owing to the above-mentioned factors, pre-treatment chemicals are expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.



Chile to Witness the Highest Growth Rate

  • Among the South American countries, Chile is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the adoption of strict environmental regulations.
  • The rising demand for fresh water in the country is a key driving factor for the demand of membrane water treatment chemicals in the country. Chile is one of the global leaders in urban wastewater treatment. The country has more than 100 water reservoirs. Currently, under the National Plan for Large Reservoirs, 20 water reservoirs are under construction in the country, which are expected to be completed by 2025.
  • Additionally, increasing demand from the industrial water treatment facilities is also boosting the membrane water chemicals market in the country.
  • Hence, owing to the above-mentioned reasons, Chile is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period.



Competitive Landscape

The South America membrane water treatment chemicals market is moderately fragmented with the major players accounting for a significantly less share of the total market. The major players in the market studied include Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Ecolab, Kemira, Suez, and Veolia Water Technologies, among others.

Reasons to Purchase this report:

  • The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
  • Report customization as per the client’s requirements
  • 3 months of analyst support