Membranes

This chapter covers perspectives of membranes from a combination of both academic research and industrial development. Membrane separation is a nonequilibrium process and determined by both the physical and chemical properties of the mixtures to be separated as well as the membrane materials and membrane structures. Three types of membranes, including polymeric, inorganic, and polymeric/inorganic mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), have been studied extensively in academia and industries for a wide range of potential applications. Polymeric membranes can be fabricated into many different geometries such as flat sheet that can form spiral wound membrane modules, tube, and hollow fiber. Inorganic membranes provide new separation opportunities such as high-temperature catalytic membrane reactor applications. Both polymeric and inorganic membranes have their unique advantages and some limitations. MMMs are developed to overcome the limitations of polymeric membranes and inorganic membranes and combine the advanced features of both membranes with the potential of being fabricated using polymeric membrane manufacturing process.