Compact Chemical Processes Based on Inorganic Membranes

摘要

The energy consumption of the chemical industry accounts for about one third of the total consumption by all the manufacturing industries. It is estimated that more than a half of the energy for the chemical industry is used for separation or concentration of substances. Separation or concentration by membranes is known to require less energy - about 70% according to an estimation -than distillation. Membranes may also have additional functions such as transportation, sensing or reaction. Membranes can, therefore, not only minimize the energy consumption of separation and concentration processes in chemical plants, but also have a great potential to provide a simple, cost-effective platform for complicated multistage chemical reactions, leading to reduced energy consumption and substance-related risks including that of exposure to toxic substances or explosion.