The technical barriers to forward osmosis membranes are high and China relies on imports.

Forward osmosis (FO) is the core material of the forward osmosis separation process. It is composed of a dense active layer and a porous support layer. The active layer plays the role of membrane separation, and the support layer plays the role of structural strength support. Forward osmosis is a new concentration-driven membrane separation technology developed in recent years. It is a membrane separation process that relies on the osmotic pressure difference on both sides of the selective permeability membrane as the driving force to spontaneously realize water transfer. Although forward osmosis water treatment technology is still in its infancy, forward osmosis membrane technology has the special advantages of low energy consumption and low membrane pollution. It has been applied in some industrial and scientific and technological fields, and will have greater room for development in the future. .

Compared with other membrane separation technologies, forward osmosis membrane technology is driven by osmotic pressure difference and has the advantages of low energy consumption, low membrane pollution and high water recovery rate. It has good application prospects in the fields of food concentration, seawater desalination, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment, etc. application prospects. However, the technical barriers for forward osmosis membranes are relatively high, and domestic development is relatively late. It is still in the research and development and experimental stages, and has not yet achieved large-scale production. At this stage, the domestic forward osmosis membrane market is mainly occupied by foreign brands. In the future, with the advancement of domestic technology and the expansion of applications, domestic forward osmosis membranes are expected to achieve large-scale production.

The research on forward osmosis membranes started late, and large-scale production has not yet been achieved in China. However, compared with other types of industrial membranes, forward osmosis membranes have the advantages of low energy consumption and low membrane pollution, and may have greater application in industrial applications. space. Stimulated by the growth of downstream demand, the output of China’s forward osmosis membrane industry is expected to continue to increase in the future. According to the “2022-2026 Forward Osmosis Membrane Industry In-depth Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report released by the Industrial Research and Industry Center, 2025 The annual sales volume of forward osmosis membranes in China will exceed 360,000 square meters.

Industry analysts said that the current research and development focus in the field of forward osmosis membranes is mainly from the development of new membrane materials, optimization of membrane active layers and supports We will explore ways to prepare high-performance forward osmosis membranes by focusing on improving the membrane water flux, improving the membrane’s ability to intercept solutes, improving the membrane’s anti-pollution ability, and improving the mechanical strength of the membrane. Mainly: (1) Through research, prepare a low-price, easy-to-regenerate, and stable extraction solution; (2) Improve the water flux and anti-fouling properties of the membrane and reduce concentration polarization in the forward osmosis process.