Membranes are key components in large-scale energy efficient separation and purification systems[1]. Separating molecules according to their molecular properties such as chemical affinity or molecular size to afford molecular-scale separations without requiring changes from one phase to another (i.e. non-thermal separation) such as membrane separations can be an order of magnitude more energy efficient than heat-driven separations that use distillation [2]. The nanotechnology driving force (“there’s plenty of room at the bottom” [3]) and its progress opened the door to a rich area of materials science for separations in which the chemical nature and morphology of the membrane can be engineered to improve the energy efficiency of separation processes. Developing thin, molecular selective membranes, which work at the high temperatures needed to keep heavy oils flowing without becoming blocked by contaminants in the separation of hydrocarbons from crude oil or membranes that are more productive and resistant to fouling in desalination will be some of the key points discussed in this presentation. 

References 

[1] W.J. Koros& R.P. Lively, Water and Beyond: Expanding the Spectrum of Large-Scale Energy Efficient Separation Processes, AICHE J. 58 (2012) 2624. 

[2] D.S. Sholl& R.P. Lively, Seven chemical separations to change the world, Nature 532 (2016) 435. 

[3] “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” is the title of a talk by physicist Richard Feynman,the father of nanotechnology, at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) on December 29, 1959.