ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on HFC-based membrane separations with respect to the applications in metal extraction/separation through a detailed description of case studies implementing process intensification. Process intensification may be achieved by new modes of production, which are based on scientific principles. The similarities between some of the devices used in the process and the basic equipment of today’s chemical process industries is striking. The flexibility metric compares membranes and traditional devices in terms of variations for which the existing plants are able to work, without requiring any type of adjustment. New metrics to be used for comparing membrane process to traditional unit operations in the logic of the process intensification have been proposed. These metrics take into account the size, the weight, the flexibility, and the modularity of the plants and can be easily obtained, once data on system performance are available. They do not replace the existing indicators, referring to other aspects of the production plants.
