According to the McIlvaine Co., the world market for fabric filter systems will increase about 34 percent, from $4.5 to $6 billion, by 2009. Industrial facilities have been incorporating fabric filters to capture pollutants from stacks and chimneys for many years

According to the McIlvaine Co., the world market for fabric filter systems will increase about 34 percent, from $4.5 to $6 billion, by 2009.

Industrial facilities have been incorporating fabric filters to capture pollutants from stacks and chimneys for many years. New materials allow these filters - often referred to as baghouses - to operate under various conditions such as acidic or high temperature. They can filter very fine particles and have replaced some electrostatic systems around the world.

The Australian power industry replaced a large percentage of its precipitators with fabric filters, while less than 15 percent of U.S. coal-fired power production has been fitted with such filters. However, over 100 U.S. power plants are planned, or under construction, and half of them plan to incorporate filter fabric technology. A system for a single 600 MW boiler can cost $50 million.

While the process has been adapted by many industries, the power industry is the largest potential market. The success of the so called dry scrubbing process to capture acidic gases could also provide a potentially large market.