Membrane and Membrane Reactors Operations in Chemical Engineering

In the last four decades, membrane technology has largely contributed to the valorization of process intensification strategy in several strategic engineering sectors, demonstrating the high potentialities of membrane operations as an alternative approach to conventional processes. In the field of chemical engineering, high process efficiency and easy operation, high product selectivity and permeability, elevated compatibility in integrated membrane systems, energy saving and environmentally friendly processes, and membrane and membrane reactor operations represent a well-established scientific and industrial reality, as also reported in the various works collected in this Special Issue. In this Special Issue, Rahimpour and co-authors (Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems by Novel Integrated Membrane Distillation (MD)) have reviewed the recent state-of-the-art and sophisticated advances in membrane distillation technology for wastewater treatment. Di Profio and co-authors (Ionic Liquid Hydrogel Composite Membranes (IL-HCMs)) presented a novel experimental route for the preparation of hydrogel composite membranes for utilization as membrane contactors in desalination applications. Dittmeyer and co-authors (Experimental Investigation of the Gas/Liquid Phase Separation Using a Membrane-Based Micro Contactor) investigated the gas/liquid phase separation of CO2 from a water-methanol solution at the anode side of a micro direct methanol fuel cell using hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene as a membrane microcontactor. Cassano and co-authors (A Multivariate Statistical Analyses of Membrane Performance in the Clarification of Citrus Press Liquor) performed statistical analysis on the experimental behaviors of polyvinylidene fluoride membranes applied in the clarification of citrus press liquor. Marino et al. (Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution in a Membrane Photoreactor Using Suspended Nanosized Au/TiO2 and Au/CeO2) proposed a method for one-step hydrogen and oxygen separation through a photocatalytic membrane reactor using a modified Nafion membrane. Through experiments, Morico et al. (Solar Energy-Assisted Membrane Reactor for Hydrogen Production) studied a pilot-scale membrane reformer coupled with solar-assisted molten salt-heating to generate hydrogen, also proposing an economic analysis of its industrial feasibility at reduced environmental impact. Caravella et al. (Dry Reforming of Methane in a Pd-Ag Membrane Reactor: Thermodynamic and Experimental Analysis) performed an experimental campaign on the CO2 reforming of methane in a catalytic Pd-based membrane reactor, including a detailed thermodynamic analysis, demonstrating the benefits of this membrane-integrated reaction process while making the production of syngas more efficient and with additional environmental advantages. To conclude, Holgado and Alique (Preliminary Equipment Design for On-Board Hydrogen Production by Steam Reforming in Palladium Membrane Reactors) presented the design of an on-board hydrogen production Pd-based membrane reactor integrated to a PEM fuel cell, demonstrating the feasibility of a one-step process for vehicle applications. Last but not least, the Editor of this Special Issue would like to thank all the authors for their excellent work and acknowledge their contribution to the success of this project.