INTEGRATED MEMBRANE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES

The book examines the possibility of integrating different membrane unit operations (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis and gas separation) in the same industrial cycle or in combination with conventional separation systems. It gives careful analysis of the technical aspects, and the possible fields of industrial development.

The book reviews many original solutions in water desalination, agro-food productions and wastewater treatments, highlighting the advantages achievable in terms of product quality, compactness, rationalization and optimization of productive cycles, reduction of environmental impact and energy saving.  Also included are examples of membrane reactors and their integration with a fuel cell; polymeric membranes in the integrated gasification combined cycle power plants; integrating a membrane reformer into a solar system; and  potential application of membrane integrated systems in the fusion reactor fuel cycle.

With detailed analysis and broad coverage, the book is divided into two sections: Bio-applications and Inorganic Applications.

Angelo Basile is a senior researcher at the Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR). His research is focussed onultra-pure hydrogen production and CO2 capture using inorganic membrane reactors as well as on the polymeric membranes (preparation and characterization) to be used for gas separation. Angelo has published more than 100 papers in the field of membrane technology,  has written over 50 book chapters and edited or co-edited 8 books. He is also Associate Editor for the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy for Elsevier.

Catherine Charcosset is Research Director at the Laboratoire d'Automatique et de Génie des Procédés, part of the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), based at the University of Lyon, France. Her research includes work on the characterization of membranes by confocal microscopy, ultrafiltration and microfiltration, membrane chromatography, preparation of emulsions and particles, and membrane crystallization for biotechnological, pharmaceutical and environmental applications. Catherine has published extensively in these fields especially filtration and membrane chromatography, both as articles and book chapters.