CERAFILTEC vs. JMFILTEC Ceramic Membranes

Company Overview

CERAFILTEC is a German-based technology solution provider with over 25 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry, specializing in developing and producing high-performance ceramic modules and components. The ceramic flat membrane was invented by CERAFILTEC in 1993, and the company has been at the forefront of ceramic ultrafiltration membrane technology since.

JMFILTEC (Zhejiang Jianmo Technology Co., Ltd) is the largest producer in China for SiC ceramic membranes, offering tubular membranes, column membranes, flat sheet membranes, heat exchange tubes, and integrated water treatment equipment.

Membrane Technology & Materials

CERAFILTEC specializes in ceramic flat sheet (plate) membranes used in submerged or pressurized configurations. CERAFILTEC's filtration module is a chemical and temperature resistant ultra-filtration (UF) ceramic membrane filter for solid-liquid separation, with an average filter pore size of 0.1 micron. The company is currently developing both Alumina and Silicon Carbide membranes as part of continued technology advancement.

JMFILTEC specializes primarily in silicon carbide (SiC) tubular and flat sheet membranes. Their SiC ceramic membranes are made of high-purity silicon carbide fine powder through recrystallization sintering technology, with filtration accuracy reaching as fine as 20 nanometers, covering microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration.

Module Design & Configuration

CERAFILTEC's modules are engineered for modular, scalable deployment. Their 3rd generation module is flow-optimized, featuring four large internal filtered water channels allowing flux rates up to 1,500 LMH per module. The entire housing and all accessories are free of any metals, making them usable in the harshest applications and achieving a very long lifespan. The module is the first fully injection molded product without any metal parts and without a surrounding frame, enabling use in seawater, hot water, and other harsh environments.

JMFILTEC offers a wider variety of form factors: their product range includes tubular membranes, flat sheet membranes, membrane modules, and membrane components, along with integrated equipment and ultrafine bubble generators. They also offer customization services.

Flux Performance

CERAFILTEC has focused heavily on flux optimization. Testing has proven that membrane flux performance can be doubled using CERAFILTEC's high flux module, with cost improvements of 54–72% achievable by using CERAFILTEC as the design standard.

JMFILTEC claims very high flux performance from their SiC material: their ultra-high flux is reported as 3–6 times that of conventional ceramic membranes and 5–30 times that of organic membranes, resulting in a smaller footprint and lower operating costs.

Applications

Both companies target overlapping water treatment markets, though with some differences in focus.

CERAFILTEC applications include: river water, groundwater, tertiary effluent, water reuse, RO pretreatment, MBRs, and industrial effluents. The company directly replaces polymeric membranes in existing plants, rehabilitates gravity sand filter plants, and supports greenfield projects. Notably, CERAFILTEC is partnering with xAI to build the world's largest ceramic membrane bioreactor, enabling the reuse of 49.2 MLD of municipal wastewater for cooling a supercomputing data center in Memphis, Tennessee.

JMFILTEC applications include: mine water treatment, high-standard tap water purification, acid liquid purification, chlorine-alkali chemical brine refining, seawater desalination pretreatment, reclaimed water reuse, oil-water separation, green ships (vessel wastewater treatment), and MBR systems.

Sustainability & Material Safety

CERAFILTEC emphasizes a strong sustainability position. Their ceramic membranes contain no PFAS, PVDF, or other micropollutants, and they are reusable and recyclable. They also hold NSF/ANSI 419 certification for drinking water applications.

JMFILTEC highlights the safety of their SiC material: ultra-high temperature sintering results in single-composition membranes with no residue and no heavy metals, described as medical grade safe.

Geographic Presence & Scale

CERAFILTEC operates globally. In addition to its US operations based in Atlanta, Georgia, the company has offices in Germany, Dubai, Mexico, Thailand, Poland, South Africa, Vietnam, and Australia/New Zealand.  Their installations in the MENA region alone have grown to 539 MLD of capacity.

JMFILTEC is China-based (Zhejiang province) and positions itself as the largest SiC ceramic membrane producer in China, with international reach through export and partnerships.

Summary Comparison Table

Conclusion

Both companies offer high-performance ceramic membrane solutions suited for demanding water treatment applications, but with distinct profiles. CERAFILTEC stands out for its long-standing European engineering heritage, standardized modular platform, global deployment track record, and strong positioning for municipal and large-scale MBR projects. JMFILTEC differentiates itself through SiC material specialization, a broader product format range (especially tubular membranes), very high flux claims, and strong suitability for industrial and chemical process applications at competitive Chinese manufacturing costs.

The best choice between the two would depend on the specific application, required certifications, project scale, geographic support needs, and budget considerations.