Membranes in chemical processing - A review of applications and novel developments

The recent development of membrane technology will strongly influence the w ay industry evaluates separation processes in the immediate future. In some fields membranes are already "proven technology" and incorporated in vario us production lines or purification processes; mainly within the food and d airy industries, water purification and treatment of liquid effluent stream s. Smaller membrane modules for medical applications are also common, but l arge units in the chemical process industry are still rather rare. This article gives a comprehensive overview of current applications, novel developments and potential for the use of membranes in selected industries within energy production, chemical process industry, wastewater treatment a nd gas purification. A brief summary for applications in industries like fo od and beverages, pharmaceutics and biochemical industry is also presented together with comprehensive references.