BOSTON, April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Metal-organic
frameworks (MOFs) are a class of materials with exceptionally high
porosity and surface area (up to 7000m2/g). The design flexibility and
structural versatility afforded by MOFs have attracted widespread
interest in numerous applications, albeit with several unsuccessful
attempts to commercialize the materials historically. However,
these materials' tunability, cycling stability, and selective
adsorption/desorption characteristics are opening opportunities for
commercialization as energy-efficient alternatives for a range of
critical energy-intensive technologies. These include carbon
capture, water harvesting for potable water production and HVAC
systems, and various chemical separations and purification
processes (e.g., refrigerant reclamation and direct lithium
extraction). Despite challenges, the brand new IDTechEx report,
"Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) 2024-2034: Market, Technology, and
Players", predicts the MOFs market to reach US$685 million by 2034.
Historically, one of the primary obstacles that has hindered the
widespread commercialization of MOFs has been the prohibitive
manufacturing costs, which in turn manifested in high market
prices. However, recent initiatives by startups and established
industry players, such as BASF, to strategically scale up the
production of commercially viable MOFs can prove pivotal in
reducing these costs. Together with the unique performance
characteristics afforded by these materials, there is potential to
position MOFs as a more competitive option to replace incumbent
energy-intensive technologies, which can also encourage wider
market adoption.
Recent developments in upscaling MOF production
With over 100,000 different MOF structures, only a handful meet
the criteria for potential commercialization. In the last year,
several developments have come to the fore in a drive to
commercialize MOFs, with material manufacturers announcing steps
towards industrial-scale manufacturing capabilities. Examples
include US-based Numat announcing the construction of 2
industrial-scale manufacturing facilities in Chicago and Wisconsin, while BASF announced the ability to
produce the MOF, CALF-20, at a scale of several hundred tonnes per
year for carbon capture applications. BASF also disclosed to
IDTechEx that it is working with several startups to upscale the
production of a few other MOFs. Additionally, UK-based Promethean
Particles told IDTechEx that it is accelerating efforts to increase
its production capacity and downstream processing capability,
resulting from a surge in demand into the region of metric tonnes
per day by early 2026.
Using insights gained from interviews with key players,
IDTechEx's report 'Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) 2024-2034:
Market, Technology, and Players' critically assesses the merits and
challenges of the various approaches undertaken by manufacturers to
upscale MOF production. Informed by primary research, the report
also addresses the factors that impact the production costs and,
ultimately, the selling price of MOFs.
A key utilization of MOFs: Carbon capture
Deploying carbon capture technologies is an important tool for
meeting net zero emission goals. However, despite the fair level of
maturity of amine solvent-based methods (i.e., amine scrubbing) to
capture CO2, deployment is still limited, mainly due to
the large installation cost and energy consumption associated with
solvent regeneration. MOF-based modular solid sorbent carbon
capture systems are gaining momentum, driven by significantly
reduced energy requirements for sorbent regeneration, improved
sorbent stability, CO2 selectivity, and lower capital
expenditure compared to solvent-based systems.
The IDTechEx report examines the material properties and
strategies to tune capture performance and assesses the progress in
point source and direct air capture applications. Through
interviews with players such as Nuada, AspiraDAC, and others, the
market activity and outlook of systems being developed by players
are addressed with comparisons of technology readiness levels and
commercial opportunity.
MOFs for water harvesting and HVAC technologies
Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technologies using advanced
sorbents (e.g., MOFs) offer an opportunity to harness water
resources in regions where traditional water sources are limited.
Additionally, heating and cooling effects induced by water
adsorption and desorption properties of MOFs can also be used for
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that can
operate with up to 70% reduced electricity consumption compared to
conventional vapor compression refrigeration technologies. This can
facilitate the reduction in energy consumption by HVAC systems,
which currently account for ~10% of all global electricity
consumption and is expected to triple by 2050 with the surge in
demand, especially in the Asian market.
Additionally, a significant reduction in the production of HFC
refrigerants is expected in line with the Kigali Amendment, and
MOF-based systems can prove a viable alternative. IDTechEx's report
covers material and technology advances in AWH and HVAC systems
that integrate MOFs and compares the key performance metrics with
other sorbents. The report also highlights the key players at the
forefront of developing and commercializing these technologies.
Opportunities in chemical separations and
purification
Chemical separation and purification constitute core operations
of manufacturing industries such as chemical production, mining,
and oil and gas refining. Conventional distillation-based thermal
chemical separation processes have significant drawbacks: they
require a large spatial footprint, substantial capital expenditure,
and are very energy-intensive. Globally, this accounts for an
estimated ~10-15% of total energy consumption.
The tunable chemical selectivity and controllable pore
architecture of MOFs enable selective separation of chemicals when
used as solid sorbents or membranes. For example, MOF-based
membrane manufacturer UniSieve told IDTechEx that it has
demonstrated the separation of chemicals that have boiling points
within ~5°C using its non-thermal membrane technology, which would
otherwise require energy-intensive thermal separation using ~100m
high distillation columns. Advances in applications such as
refrigerant reclamation, direct lithium extraction, and several gas
separation and purification processes such as biogas upgrading, and
polymer grade propylene production, and more are evaluated within
IDTechEx's research.
IDTechEx outlook
The varied applications of MOFs present a large scope for the
adoption of MOF-based technologies, particularly in applications
where MOFs can result in a significant reduction in energy
consumption and operational costs. These include carbon capture,
chemical separations, and HVAC systems. However, these technologies
have not yet been demonstrated on an industrial scale, and novel
technologies can be considered risky, which may become a barrier to
early adoption. Additionally, incumbent technologies have a
stronghold in the key target markets, and MOFs may struggle to gain
market share.
With the advent of several commercial products over the next
decade, MOF-based technologies will need to demonstrate their
performance at scale. This must also be complemented by a sustained
growth in manufacturing capacity using scalable methods.
IDTechEx's new report, "Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)
2024-2034: Market, Technology, and Players", offers an independent
analysis of these trends and considers applications of MOFs for
several other early-stage technologies, including hydrogen storage,
energy storage, sensors, and more. Informed by insights gained from
primary research, the report analyzes key players in the field. It
provides market forecasts in terms of yearly mass demand and market
value segmented by application.
To find out about this new IDTechEx report, including
downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/MOFs.
For the full portfolio of advanced materials & critical
minerals market research from IDTechEx, please visit
www.IDTechEx.com/Research/AM.
Upcoming free-to-attend webinar
Manufacturing MOFs for Emerging Carbon Capture
Applications
Dr Selim, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx and author of this
article, will be presenting a free-to-attend webinar on the topic
on Thursday 23 May 2024 -
Manufacturing MOFs for Emerging Carbon Capture Applications.
The webinar will provide:
- An overview of metal-organic frameworks and their emerging
applications
- Scaling MOF production for industrial applications
- Considerations of production cost and selling price of
MOFs
- Examples of MOF-based point source carbon capture and direct
air capture solutions and comparisons with incumbent
technology
- Outlook for MOFs in carbon capture, including opportunities and
challenges
Please click here to check timings and register for your
specific time zone.
If you are unable to make the date, please register anyway to
receive the links to the on-demand recording (available for a
limited time) and webinar slides as soon as they are available.
About IDTechEx:
IDTechEx provides trusted independent research on emerging
technologies and their markets. Since 1999, we have been
helping our clients to understand new technologies, their supply
chains, market requirements, opportunities and forecasts. For more
information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or
visit www.IDTechEx.com.
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