Polymeric Membranes

Abstract

Polymeric membranes are constantly expanding their applications in separations going from desalination to hydrocarbon recovery and fractionation in the petrochemical industry. They are superior in terms of processability and scalability when compared to inorganic analogues. The diversity of chemistry allows to design membranes with tune porosity and functionality optimized for different applications. This article gives an overview of the main methods of membrane preparation and discusses the field challenges and opportunities. It considers how substituting the classical materials by more stable ones can open the door for applications in the chemical industry, how building blocks with preformed cavities can increase selectivity to level not demonstrated before, and how the criterion of sustainability is changing the strategies, materials, and solvents in the membrane fabrication.