Ultrapure Water Use Comments

Market reports on the internet indicate that in 2018 global purchases (capital expenditures) of technologies for use in providing ultrapure water in industry were about $6.2 billion.    Industry sectors using ultrapure water include: semiconductors; coal-fired power stations; flat panel products; pharmaceuticals; and gas turbines.   Processes in these sectors required ultrapure water to work as intended.

A 2015 RobecoSam report (Water: the market of the future; click here to read the report – PDF file) indicates that in 2018 approximately $24 billion will be spent by industry on water processing technologies, including for ultrapure water use.  Thus, capital expenditures related to ultrapure water represents a high percentage of the total – 26% ($6.2 billion divided by $24 billion).

Of the $6.2 billion spent related to ultrapure water use, the sector spending the most is semiconductors – estimated at $2.1 billion or 33% of the total.  Water purification levels now required by semiconductor producers are in the parts per billion and parts per trillion range for the most recently designed microchips.    This purification level is beginning to exceed the ability of analytical instrumentation to determine impurity concentrations.  Improved purification and measurement technologies related to this level of purification (parts per billion and trillion) are areas of active research and development.    With respect to ultrapure water use in the semiconductor industry, only the very best service providers are likely to succeed.

The following identifies some of the leading vendors providing purification and analytical products and services related to ultrapure water use:

Airliquide – analytical services (click here for more information)

Entegris – ultrapure water filters (click here for more information)

Evoqua – ultrapure water systems (click here for more information)

Kurita - ultrapure water systems (click here for more information)

Nalco (Ecolab) - ultrapure water systems (click here for more information)

Pall – ultrapure water filters (click here for more information)

Snowpure – electro deionization and other technologies (click here for more information)

Suez - ultrapure water systems (click here for more information)