What MTR does

MTR (Membrane Technology & Research, Inc.) is a privately held US manufacturer founded in 1982 and headquartered in Newark, California. The company designs, produces, and services membrane-based gas and vapor separation systems used in petrochemical plants, natural gas processing facilities, refineries, syngas operations, and power generation. Its technology rests on proprietary polymeric and hybrid membrane materials, protected by what the company describes as more than 100 patents, packaged into modular systems that customers integrate into industrial process flows.

MTR's product portfolio spans twelve core platforms organized into two business units: MTR Industrial Separations and MTR Carbon Capture. The Industrial Separations unit includes VaporSep and VaporSep-H2 for hydrocarbon and hydrogen recovery, SourSep and NitroSep for H2S and nitrogen removal, LPG-Sep for LPG recovery, FuelSep for fuel gas conditioning, and SolvSep/PerVap for solvent dehydration and pervaporation. The Carbon Capture unit commercializes the Polaris CO2-selective membrane and the PolarCap process for power plant and industrial flue gas applications. The company reports more than 450 commercial systems deployed worldwide and operates through direct sales offices in Newark, Houston, Brussels, and Shanghai, supplemented by an independent sales representative network covering roughly twenty countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

The business model is primarily capital equipment sales of custom-engineered membrane skids, with multi-year contracts and quote-based pricing tied to capacity, application, and customization. Revenue is also generated from replacement membrane modules (a recurring aftermarket stream tied to the installed base) and from engineering, installation, commissioning, and field services. Customers are predominantly large industrial enterprises such as ExxonMobil, SABIC, Sinopec, Formosa Plastics, INEOS, Sasol, and KNPC. In April 2026 MTR closed a $27 million Series B led by Climate Investment with Hartree Partners, and appointed a new CEO (John Gatlin) and CCO (Brett Andrews) to drive the next commercialization phase.

Name

MTR

Legal name

Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.

Website

https://mtrinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MTR is a US manufacturer of proprietary membrane-based gas and vapor separation systems, serving petrochemical, natural gas, refining, syngas, and carbon capture customers globally with custom-engineered capital equipment, replacement modules, and field services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Membrane Gas Separation Equipment

akta.pro primary industry

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-combustion Capture Systems (Membranes & Hybrid Membrane Processes) (EUABAGAC), Gas Processing Plant Equipment & Skids (Separators, Heat Exchangers, Turboexpanders) (EUAAABAH), Field Treating & Separation (Heater Treaters, Separators, LACT) (EUALACAI)

Keywords

• Membrane gas separation
• Industrial gas processing
• Carbon capture systems
• Hydrogen recovery membranes
• Natural gas treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Gas Separation Systems: Custom-designed membrane systems for gas separation in petrochemical, natural gas, and refinery applications. Systems are sold as capital equipment with installation and commissioning services.
2. Membrane Modules and Replacements: Replacement membrane modules for installed systems. Provides recurring revenue stream from existing customer base.
3. Technical Services: Engineering, installation, commissioning, and ongoing technical support services for membrane systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MTR designs, manufactures, and sells proprietary membrane-based gas separation systems for petrochemical, natural gas, refinery/syngas, and carbon capture applications. Its two business divisions, MTR Industrial Separations and MTR Carbon Capture, deliver custom-engineered capital equipment such as VaporSep, VaporSep-H2, SourSep, Polaris, and PolarCap, supported by replacement membrane modules and engineering, installation, commissioning, and technical services.

Product overview

MTR (Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.) offers a portfolio of membrane-based separation systems organized into two business divisions: MTR Industrial Separations and MTR Carbon Capture. The Industrial Separations division provides specialized membrane products including VaporSep for hydrocarbon/olefin recovery, VaporSep-H2 for hydrogen recovery, SourSep for H2S removal, NitroSep for nitrogen removal, LPG-Sep for LPG recovery, FuelSep for fuel gas conditioning, SolvSep for solvent dehydration, and PerVap for pervaporation. The Carbon Capture division offers Polaris membranes and PolarCap capture processes for CO2 removal from power plants, industrial facilities, and natural gas/biogas streams. The company has deployed over 450 commercial membrane systems worldwide since 1982.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VaporSep: Membrane-based system for hydrocarbon recovery from vent streams, including VCM recovery, fuel gas recovery, and olefin recovery from resin degassing vents.
• VaporSep-H2
• LPG-Sep
• SourSep
• NitroSep
• FuelSep
• Polaris
• Polaris Membrane
• PolarCap
• SolvSep
• PerVap
• BioSep

Products and services

• VaporSep
• VaporSep-H2 Hydrogen recovery membrane system for refineries that recovers 90-99% pure hydrogen from hydrotreater offgas and other refinery streams at pressures up to 2500 psia. Used by refinery operators for hydrogen optimization and reuse.
• SourSep H2S removal system for bulk removal of hydrogen sulfide from sour gas streams in a simple single-stage process, achieving reduction up to 90%. Used by natural gas processors for acid gas removal.
• NitroSep Nitrogen removal membrane system for natural gas that reduces nitrogen content to pipeline specifications while achieving over 90% hydrocarbon BTU recovery. Used by natural gas processors with high-nitrogen gas streams.
• LPG-Sep LPG recovery system for associated gas and flare gas that recovers liquefied petroleum gas at ambient temperature without cryogenics or absorbents. Used by natural gas producers and gas processing operators.
• FuelSep Fuel gas conditioning system that purifies raw gas to premium quality fuel gas by removing H2S, C3+, CO2, N2, and water for gas engines and turbines. Used by natural gas operators running gas engines and turbines.
• Polaris CO2-selective polymeric membrane for syngas and industrial applications, the first commercially available membrane that separates CO2 from hydrogen in gasification and steam methane reforming processes. Used by syngas producers and industrial gas processors.
• PolarCap CO2 capture process for coal-fired power plants based on Polaris polymeric membrane, offering modular and scalable capture without chemicals. Used by power generators and industrial emitters for CO2 capture.
• SolvSep Solvent dehydration system using zeolite membranes for dehydration of alcohols, ethers, ketones, and hydrocarbons via pervaporation or vapor permeation. Used by solvent and chemical producers needing dehydration.
• PerVap Pervaporation system for bioethanol production, food processing, and water treatment that separates volatile organic compounds from aqueous solutions. Used by bioethanol producers, food processors, and water treatment operators.
• Biogas CO2 Removal System Membrane system for removing CO2 from biogas (landfill and biodigesters) to meet pipeline specifications, achieving up to 98% hydrocarbon recovery. Used by landfill operators and biogas producers.
• CO2 Removal from Natural Gas Membrane system for reducing CO2 content in natural gas to pipeline specifications (less than 2 mol%), with high-efficiency packaging ideal for offshore applications. Used by natural gas processors and offshore operators.
• MTR Industrial Separations Core business division of MTR providing membrane solutions for petrochemical, natural gas, and refining industries including hydrocarbon recovery, hydrogen separation, and solvent dehydration, sold under the MTR Industrial Separations brand.
• MTR Carbon Capture Business division of MTR focused on membrane-based carbon capture systems for power generation and industrial applications, leveraging the Polaris membrane platform.
• Solvent Dehydration Product Line New solvent dehydration product line featuring zeolite membrane processes for dehydration of ethanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as an alternative to distillation, reducing water content to 0.1% to 1.0%. Launched in 2017.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450 commercial systems deployed globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and minor.

• Ube IndustriesstrategicTechnology or IntegrationUbe Industries partnered with MTR for oxygen-enriched air separation applications. Ube Industries is a Japanese chemical company with expertise in membrane technology and industrial gas production.
• OPW Fueling ComponentsminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOPW Fueling Components partnered with MTR for gasoline vapor recovery technology. OPW manufactures fueling equipment and integrated MTR's VaporSep membrane technology into their vapor recovery systems for retail fueling applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Evonik Industries: Evonik's SEPURAN membrane product line competes directly with MTR's gas separation membranes, particularly in natural gas processing (CO2/H2S removal) and hydrogen/nitrogen separations. Evonik is the most direct head-to-head membrane competitor serving MTR's core customer verticals.
• Compact Membrane Systems: Compact Membrane Systems develops specialty polymeric membranes for industrial gas separations, including olefin/paraffin and other challenging gas pairs. It is an emerging specialty membrane competitor that overlaps with MTR's petrochemical and refinery gas separation applications.
• Genesis Membrane Separator: Genesis Membrane Separator supplies membrane-based gas separation equipment for natural gas processing, biogas upgrading, and hydrogen recovery, competing with MTR's natural gas product line (SourSep, NitroSep, LPG-Sep, FuelSep) for similar midstream and biogas customers.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell UOP: Honeywell UOP supplies gas processing, hydrogen, and CO2 separation technologies to refineries, petrochemical plants, and natural gas processors — the same end customers as MTR — as part of a much broader process technology portfolio that competes for capital budgets on every project.
• Air Products and Chemicals: Air Products supplies industrial gases, hydrogen, and gas separation/prereformer technologies to refineries and petrochemical operators. Its PRISM membrane line and hydrogen project pipeline compete directly with MTR's VaporSep-H2 and Polaris platforms in the same end markets.
• Linde plc: Linde is a global industrial gas major with hydrogen, CO2, and petrochemical gas separation offerings. Its scale, project development capability, and hydrogen/CCS investments position it as a broad competitor for capital projects where MTR's membrane systems are evaluated.
• Air Liquide: Air Liquide provides industrial gas production, hydrogen, and biogas/CO2 separation solutions for refining and petrochemical customers, competing with MTR's membrane systems as part of larger integrated gas and decarbonization project offerings.
• Schlumberger (SLB) — Cameron/ChampionX: SLB's Cameron and ChampionX businesses supply gas processing, treating, and separation equipment to upstream and midstream oil & gas operators — overlapping with MTR's SourSep, NitroSep, and LPG-Sep platforms in natural gas and associated gas processing applications.
• Chart Industries: Chart Industries manufactures cryogenic and process gas equipment for LNG, hydrogen, and industrial gas applications. Its separation and gas processing offerings compete for the same upstream/midstream gas processing capex that MTR addresses with LPG-Sep, NitroSep, and FuelSep membrane systems.

Emerging players

• Entegris: Entegris manufactures filtration, separation, and purification products primarily for semiconductor and life sciences fluid handling, with partial overlap to MTR's separation membrane competency and potential adjacency in advanced gas separation materials and modules.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MTR