ABSTRACT
Synergy is a situation where the final outcome of a system is greater
than the sum of the parts. According to this definition, membrane
reactors are a clear example of synergy: we expect that the reac-
tor performance will significantly improve because of the use of the
membrane or that the reactionwill enhance the permeation through
the membrane. In fact, membrane reactors are one of the work-
horses in process intensification and a clear example of multifunc-
tional reactors. Although many membrane reactors are already in
operation in low-temperature applications (e.g., membrane biore-
actors and enzyme-supported reactors) (Rios et al., 2004), most of the envisaged applications related with energy will need to operate
at high temperatures. For operation at high temperatures or under
harsh chemical conditions, the use of inorganicmembranes becomes
necessary, since polymeric membranes are not resistant enough.
This chapter will review the current state of the art in the field of
inorganicmembrane reactors for energy-related applications, show-
ing with more detail the achievements that in the author’s opinion
are nearing industrial application, and will discuss three new sys-
tems where the use of inorganic membrane reactors can be helpful
in applications related with the energy and fuel industries.
