Membrane separation and electrochemical renovation are examples of key processes that enter into many highly efficient technologies related to clean energy. Membrane separation may, for example, be integrated into technology recycled for sustainable power generation and hydrogen production with CO2 capture from fossil fuels, while fuel cells and electrolysers are technologies for slighter scale energy efficient production of electricity and hydrogen.

Gas membrane units can be engaged in numerous processes. The application zone can range from purification or recovery of waste gas streams to generation of a high quality product (e.g. hydrogen, methane, syngas and helium). Membrane separation has been used additional and more extensively in a range of industrial processes from conventional chemical processing to pharmaceutical, healthcare and environmental applications. With the recent quick development in new materials and ever growing demand in reducing energy consumptions in chemical and process industry, novel membranes and processes are being industrialized for new applications. The membrane group discovers these new frontiers, based on chemical engineering science, in collaboration with top scientists worldwide.

Membrane technology is still evolving, finding more and additional applications in food processing. Conventional techniques such as micro- and ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis can now be regarded as more or less standard unit operations that are being implemented in numerous processes. Newer techniques such as pervaporation and bipolar membrane technology offer new possibilities, but are still in the process of development. 

Membrane Technologies for Water Treatment, is an precious source detailing sustainable, emerging processes, to provide clean, energy saving and cost effective alternatives to conventional processes. Membrane separation is playing an increasingly important role in water treatment, water reclamation, wastewater treatment and desalination applications. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have great potential for more efficient treatment of wastewater with suggestively reduced land footprint. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the key stream desalination technology with significantly lower energy consumption compared to thermal based processes. RO has also been implemented in many countries and regions for wastewater reclamation. Other membrane processes, such as electrodialysis (ED), forward osmosis (FO), and membrane distillation (MD) are also finding their competitive edge in seawater and brackish water desalination.

Ion-exchange membranes are usually used in electrodialysis or diffusion dialysis by means of an electrical potential or concentration gradient, respectively, to selectively transport cationic and anionic types. When applied in anion- and cation-exchange membranes, an electrodialysis desalination process is typically arranged in an alternating pattern between two electrodes (an anode and a cathode) within the electrodialysis stack. A galvanic potential is provided as a voltage generated at the electrodes

Dense metallic membranes are typified by palladium (Pd) membrane for hydrogen permeation and silver (Ag) membrane for oxygen permeation. Pd‐based membranes possess very reasonable hydrogen permeability, but the oxygen permeability of Ag‐based membranes is orders of magnitude lower than the hydrogen permeability of Pd‐based membranes. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the application of MRs for various reactions toward higher conversion and yield improvement.

New zeolitic materials and new synthesis methods, such as hydrothermal synthesis, seeding and microwave heating, have been incessantly reported in the literature. Many efforts have been dedicated to the synthesis of hybrid or mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) since MMMs clearly outperformed polymeric membranes. In a molecular sieve carbon membrane, gas molecules slighter than the pore size of the membrane can permeate the membrane. Larger molecules are completely retained. Molecular sieve carbon membranes display very high selectivities and can be used, e.g., for selective separation of hydrogen from natural gas.

Porous and polymeric membranes have a thin layer of semi-permeable material that is used for solute separation as transmembrane pressure is applied across the membrane. Polymeric membrane materials are intrinsically limited by a tradeoff between their permeability and their selectivity, yet they have been the basis for high-performance gas-separation applications. Virtually, all gas separations in polymeric membranes are limited by an upper boundary in a log–log plot of gas selectivity and permeability.

Biological membranes consist of a dual sheet (known as a bilayer) of lipid molecules. This structure is usually referred to as the phospholipid bilayer. In addition to the many types of lipids that occur in biological membranes, membrane proteins and sugars are also key mechanisms of the structure. Membrane proteins play a vital role in biological membranes, as they help to preserve the structural integrity, organization and flow of material through membranes. Sugars are establish on one side of the bilayer only, and are attached by covalent bonds to some lipids and proteins.