ABSTRACT
Membrane-based separation processes are finding wide and ever-increasing use in the petrochemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries, in biotechnology, and in a variety of environmental applications, including the treatment of contaminated air and water streams. Membrane-based reactive separation processes, which seek to combine two distinct functions. Biotechnology is another area in which membrane-based reactive separations are also attracting great interest. Inorganic membranes are also more frequently being utilized in biotechnology for the production of fine chemicals via the use of both enzyme and whole-cell bioreactors, and for large-scale environmental clean-up type applications. Porous membranes, composed of glass and ceramic materials, as well as polymers, have also found use in membrane-based reactive separations. Membrane-based reactive separations have also been tested successfully for use in catalytic hydrogenation reactions. Dense membranes have good permselectivity towards oxygen, which allows for the use of air during the partial oxidation reaction.
