Integrated Membrane Operations

Membrane filtration plays a key role in the industrial separation processes with well-established applications in several industrial areas, such as food, beverages, pulp and paper, metallurgy, pharmaceutical, automotive, biotechnology, and the chemical industry, as well as in water and wastewater treatment. The combination of membrane unit operations in the same industrial cycle or in combination with conventional separation systems is an emerging tool offering new prospects for development, reengineering, or retrofitting of industrial processes within the logic of the process intensification and zero-discharge strategies. This Special Issue aims to provide some relevant examples of integrated membrane operations in different industrial sectors, including water desalination, agro-food productions and wastewater treatments, highlighting the advantages achievable in terms of product quality, plant compactness, rationalization and optimization of productive cycles, reduction of environmental impact and energy consumption. It welcomes both original contributions and reviews related to the integration of membrane systems and processes, including pressure-driven membrane operations, membrane bioreactors and membrane contactors in the treatment of industrial, municipal and agro-industrial wastewaters, water desalination, drinking water production, and agro-food processing.