Document Integrating different membrane operations and combining membranes with conventional separation techniques in industrial processes

Various membrane operations are available today for a wide spectrum of industrial applications. Microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), electrodialysis and gas separation are well-known membrane unit operations with high potentiality in molecular separations, clarifications, fractionations and concentrations both in liquid and gas phases.In this chapter the possibility of integrating different membrane unit operations in the same industrial cycle or in combination with conventional separation systems is analysed and discussed. Many original solutions in water desalination, agro-food productions and wastewater treatments are reviewed highlighting the advantages achievable in terms of product quality, compactness, rationalization and optimization of productive cycles, reduction of environmental impact and energy saving.Moreover, there is a potential application of polymeric membranes for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants, some aspects of the integration of a membrane reactor with a fuel cell, the possibility to integrate a membrane reformer into a solar system, and the potential application of membrane integrated systems in the fusion reactor fuel cycle, which are attracting many scientists and so will also be introduced and discussed in this chapter