Advanced Membrane Science and Technology for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Applications

Angelo Basile is a Full Professor and a leading authority in membrane science and technology. Since 2014, he has served as Full Professor in Systems, Methods and Technologies of Chemical Engineering Processes at CNR-ITM in Rende, Italy. His work covers hydrogen purification and production using membrane reactors, CO₂ capture, process intensification, and the treatment of industrial effluents with advanced membrane operations. Basile has edited many scientific books and authored numerous book chapters, bridging complex research with clear knowledge for engineers and scientists. Motivated by the role of AI/ML in accelerating membrane process design and automation, he supports integrating data-driven methods for smart plants and reaction–separation optimisation. Dr Suzana Pereira Nunes is Principal Research Scientist at the Centre for Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The editors are renowned for their research and development of advanced membrane technologies.

• Contributor contact detailsWoodhead Publishing Series in EnergyPrefacePart I: Introduction to membrane science and engineeringChapter 1: Fundamental membrane processes, science and engineeringAbstract:1.1 Introduction1.2 Membrane processes1.3 Conclusions and future trendsChapter 2: Fundamental science of gas and vapour separation in polymeric membranesAbstract:2.1 Introduction2.2 Basic principles and definitions of separation processes2.3 Effects of the properties of penetrants and polymers2.4 Effects of pressure on transport parameters2.5 Effects of temperature on transport parameters2.6 Gas permeability of polymers: objects of membrane gas separation2.8 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 3: Characterization of membranes for energy and environmental applicationsAbstract:3.1 Polymer and carbon molecular sieve membranes3.2 Zeolite and mixed matrix membranes3.3 Mass transport characterization3.4 Conclusions3.6 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 4: Economic analysis of membrane use in industrial applicationsAbstract:4.1 Introduction4.2 Economic analysis4.3 Case studies4.4 Conclusions and future trendsPart II: Membranes for coal and gas power plants: carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, synthesis gas processing and oxygen (O2) transportChapter 5: Membrane technology for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture in power plantsAbstract:5.1 Introduction5.2 Reasons for using membranes for carbon dioxide (CO2) separation and sequestration5.3 A short review of membrane technology for CO2 separation5.4 Performance of membrane processes for CO2 sequestration5.5 Membrane modules for CO2 sequestration5.6 Design for power plant integration5.7 Cost considerations and membrane technology at the industrial scale5.8 Modelling aspects of gas permeation membrane modules5.9 Conclusions and future trends5.11 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 6: Polymeric membranes for post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) captureAbstract:6.1 Introduction6.2 Basic principles of flue gas membrane separation6.3 Membrane development and applications in power plants6.4 Operation and performance issues and analysis6.5 Advantages and limitations6.6 Future trendsChapter 7: Inorganic membranes for pre-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) captureAbstract:7.1 Introduction7.2 Inorganic membranes for carbon dioxide (CO2) separation7.3 Membrane reactors for CO2 capture7.4 Techno-economic analysis of the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC)7.5 Conclusions and future trendsChapter 8: Inorganic membranes for synthesis gas processingAbstract:8.1 Introduction8.2 Basic principles of membrane operation8.3 Membrane materials and development8.4 Application and integration in industry8.5 Membrane modules8.6 Future trends8.7 Conclusions8.9 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 9: Oxygen transport membranes: dense ceramic membranes for power plant applicationsAbstract:9.1 Introduction9.2 Oxygen transport membrane materials, development and design9.3 Principles of oxygen membrane separation9.4 Application and integration in power plants9.5 Oxygen transport membranes9.6 Future trends9.7 Conclusions9.8 AcknowledgementsPart III: Membranes for the petrochemical industry: hydrocarbon fuel and natural gas processing, and advanced biofuels productionChapter 10: Membranes for hydrocarbon fuel processing and separationAbstract:10.1 Introduction10.2 Membrane materials, development and design for hydrocarbon processing10.3 Separation of olefins and paraffins10.4 Removal of hydrocarbons from liquid streams10.5 Nanotechnologies from fundamental research to large-scale industry10.7 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 11: Polymeric membranes for natural gas processingAbstract:11.1 Introduction11.2 Polymeric membrane operations in natural gas processing11.3 Membrane materials, development and design for natural gas processing11.4 Operation and performance issues and analysis11.5 Application and integration into natural gas operations11.6 Advantages and limitations11.7 Future trends11.10 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 12: Membranes for advanced biofuels productionAbstract:12.1 General overview of second-generation biofuels12.2 Hydrolysis of biomass to produce sugars12.3 Key role of process engineering for second-generation biofuels production12.4 Membrane bioreactors12.5 Biocatalyst continuously separated by a membrane system and recirculated into the reaction tank12.6 Biocatalyst immobilized onto the membrane surface12.7 Continuous stirred tank reactor with biocatalyst immobilized on the membrane surface (CSTMB)12.8 Single pass membrane bioreactor12.9 Hollow fibre membrane bioreactor with recycling of unreacted substrate12.10 Conclusions12.13 Appendix: list of symbolsPart IV: Membranes for alternative energy applications: batteries, fuel cells and hydrogen (H2) productionChapter 13: Ion exchange membranes for vanadium redox flow batteriesAbstract:13.1 Electrochemical energy storage13.2 Vanadium redox flow batteries13.3 Membranes13.4 ConclusionsChapter 14: Membranes for lithium batteriesAbstract:14.1 Introduction14.2 Types of lithium battery and basic operating principles14.3 Polymer electrolyte membranes for advanced lithium batteries14.4 Conclusions and future trendsChapter 15: Proton exchange membranes for fuel cellsAbstract:15.1 Introduction15.2 Basic operating principles and types of fuel cell15.3 Membrane materials, design and fabrication processes15.4 Membrane performance in operation: issues and analysis15.5 Integration and application of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems15.6 Advantages and limitations of PEM fuel cells15.7 Future trends15.10 Appendix: list of symbolsChapter 16: Functional ceramic hollow fibre membranes for catalytic membrane reactors and solid oxide fuel cellsAbstract:16.1 Introduction16.2 Membrane materials issues16.3 Membrane development routes and macrostructure control16.4 A multifunctional dual-layer hollow fibre membrane reactor (DL-HFMR) for methane conversion16.5 Dual-layer hollow fibres for a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)16.6 Other ways of improving ceramic dual-layer hollow fibres16.7 ConclusionsChapter 17: Proton-conducting ceramic membranes for solid oxide fuel cells and hydrogen (H2) processingAbstract:17.1 Introduction17.2 Operation principle of proton-conducting ceramic membranes and demands on materials17.3 Protons and proton conductance in ceramics17.4 Conductivity and hydrogen (H2) flux of selected classes of ceramic membrane materials17.5 Structure of selected classes of proton-conducting materials17.6 Chemical stability of selected classes of ceramic membrane materials17.7 Conclusions17.8 AcknowledgementsChapter 18: Membrane electrolysers for hydrogen (H2) productionAbstract:18.1 Introduction18.2 Basic principles of electrolysis18.3 Membrane materials18.4 Membrane performance18.5 Application and integration of electrolyser systems18.6 Some advantages and limitations of current membrane materials18.7 Future trends18.10 Appendix: nomenclatureChapter 19: Biomimetic membrane reactors for hydrogen (H2) productionAbstract:19.1 Introduction19.2 General background to the concept19.3 An ambitious goal with numerous challenges19.4 Thermodynamic limitations and device design19.5 Integrated engineering approach for solar-to-fuel conversion19.6 ConclusionsPart V: Membranes for industrial, environmental and nuclear applicationsChapter 20: Membranes for industrial microfiltration and ultrafiltrationAbstract:20.1 Introduction20.2 Basic principles of microfiltration and ultrafiltration20.3 Membrane materials and membrane preparation technology20.4 Module configuration and process design20.5 Concentration polarization and membrane fouling20.6 Applications20.7 Microfiltration and ultrafiltration in integrated processes20.8 Advantages and limitations20.9 Future trendsChapter 21: Membranes for forward osmosis in industrial applicationsAbstract:21.1 Introduction21.2 Mechanism of forward osmosis21.3 Membranes for forward osmosis21.4 Forward osmosis membrane modules21.5 Effect of various parameters on transmembrane flux21.6 Applications of forward osmosis21.7 Conclusions21.8 AcknowledgementsChapter 22: Degradation of polymeric membranes in water and wastewater treatmentAbstract:22.1 Introduction22.2 Polymer materials and module design22.3 Membrane failure and operational issues22.4 Membrane degradation mechanisms22.5 Identification and monitoring of membrane degradation22.6 Materials degradation control strategies22.7 Future trends22.9 AcknowledgementsChapter 23: Membranes for photocatalysis in water and wastewater treatmentAbstract:23.1 Introduction23.2 Basic principles of heterogeneous photocatalysis23.3 Membrane materials developments and design for photocatalysis23.4 Membrane operations performance issues and analysis: case studies23.5 Future trendsChapter 24: Membranes for nuclear power applicationsAbstract:24.1 Introduction24.2 Membranes for nuclear fission applications24.3 Membranes for nuclear fusion applications24.4 Conclusions24.5 Future trendsIndex