Suzana Pereira Nunes & Klaus-Viktor Peinemann 
Membrane Technology 
in the Chemical Industry

Membrane Technology – a clean and energy saving alternative to traditional/conventional processes.

Developed from a useful laboratory technique to a commercial separation technology, today it has widespread and rapidly expanding use in the chemical industry. It has established applications in areas such as hydrogen separation and recovery of organic vapors from process gas streams, and selective transport of organic solvents, and it is opening new perspectives for catalytic conversion in membrane reactors. Membrane technology provides a unique solution for industrial waste treatment and for controlled production of valuable chemicals.

This book outlines several established applications of membranes in the chemical industry, reviews the available membranes and membrane processes for the field, and discusses the huge potential of this technology in chemical processes.

Each chapter has been written by an international leading expert with extensive industrial experience in the field.

Table of Content

PART I: MEMBRANES FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Introduction
Membrane Market
Membrane Preparation
Presently Available Membranes for Liquid Separation
Surface Modification of Membranes
Membranes for Fuel Cells
Gas Separation with Membranes

PART II: CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES
The Separation of Organic Vapors from Gas Streams by Means of Membranes
Gas Separation Membrane Application
State-of-art of Pervaporation Processes in the Chemical Industry
Organic Solvent Nanofiltration
Industrial Membrane Reactors
Electromembrane Processes
Membrane Technology in the Chemical Industry: Future Directions

About the author

S. P. Nunes is currently head of Polymer Technology at GKSS Research Center Geesthacht in Germany. She has been working on the development of polymeric materials and membranes for different applications for over 20 years, with over 65 papers in international journals and 100 contributions to congresses. In the last four years she has dedicated her time to the membrane development for fuel cells, coordinating German and European projects in the field. Prior to this, she was Associate Professor at the University of Campinas, Brazil, a researcher at Pirelli, and Humboldt fellow at the University of Mainz, Germany.

K.-V. Peinemann is currently Senior Scientist at GKSS Research Center Geesthacht in Germany and has worked in the field of membrane science and technology for 25 years. He has organized numerous international workshops on membrane formation and has been lecturing since 1995 at the University of Hanover. From 2002 to 2004, Professor Peinemann served as President of the European Membrane Society and is co-founder of the membrane company GMT Membrantechnik in Rheinfelden, Germany. He has published some 80 papers in international journals and holds 15 membrane-related patents.