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Report Summary

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, the tunability, cycling stability, and selective adsorption/desorption characteristics of these materials 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).

 

IDTechEx's report 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 and provides market forecasts in terms of yearly mass demand and market value segmented by application.

 

Figure 1: The evolution of the price of MOFs towards commercial applications. Source: IDTechEx

 

Manufacturing MOFs

Industrial implementation depends on material availability, quality, and affordability. Most MOFs developed in research labs are synthesized using solvothermal methods on the milligrams scale. To produce MOFs on an industrial scale, the production methods need to be scalable. In addition, raw material availability is a critical factor in determining the commercial viability of a MOF. With over 100,000 reported structures, only a handful meet the criteria for potential commercialization. Using key insights gained from interviews with key players such as BASF and Promethean Particles, this report critically assesses the merits and challenges of the various approaches undertaken by manufacturers to upscale MOF production. Informed by primary research, the factors that impact the production costs and ultimately the selling price of MOFs are also addressed.

 

MOFs for 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. This 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.

 

MOFs for 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 otherwise would 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 the report.

 

MOFs for Gas Storage and Other Early-Stage Applications

MOFs are also being explored for gas storage applications, with US-based MOF manufacturer Numat having commercialized its ION-X range for storage of dopant gases for the semiconductor industry. Several start-ups are also developing prototypes of MOF-based natural gas storage solutions to support gas supply networks, whilst developments in hydrogen storage applications are lagging. There are several other early-stage applications discussed in the report such as energy storage, catalysis, sensors, and more. However, these are generally studied in academic literature with limited examples of R&D conducted by startup companies.

 

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 material 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 predicts this market will grow at 34.8% CAGR from 2024 to 2034.

 

Figure 2: Forecast and growth rate of MOFs. Source: IDTechEx

 

Key aspects

This report provides key market insights into metal-organic frameworks (MOF) materials, manufacturing methods, pricing considerations, and several key emerging applications.

 

The report provides an overview of MOFs, with critical assessment of material production and upscaling strategies:

 

Material properties and analysis, market activity, key comparisons with incumbent technologies and more are evaluated for key applications, including:

 

The report also provides 10 year market forecasts & analysis: