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Gas separation membranes: needs for combined materials science and processing approaches
Author(s) -
Koros William J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3900(200211)188:1<13::aid-masy13>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - membrane , gas separation , exploit , process engineering , biochemical engineering , competition (biology) , separation (statistics) , nanotechnology , materials science , engineering , computer science , chemistry , ecology , biochemistry , computer security , biology , machine learning
Huge markets would exist for high volume gas separation membranes if more robust and higher selectivity membranes were economically available. Many of these markets include totally new paradigms, such as fuel cell driven vehicles and membrane reactors for hydrocarbon production. Other markets involve displacing entrenched large scale separations processes with more advanced versions of first generation “conventional” membranes. Existing materials and formation processes cannot exploit most of these opportunities, so basic research is needed. This research must occur with an awareness that competition to displace highly optimized conventional technologies such as absorption, cryogenic distillation and adsorption must consider economic as well as technical efficacy. Next generation membrane processes should, therefore, maintain attractive economics associated with current polymer‐based membranes, while greatly extending performance properties. Several “contender” strategies based largely on polymers and specialized polymer processing approaches for achieving this ambitious goal will be considered in more detail.