8. Membrane Technology: how, where, and why

Abstract

Thin films of inorganic porous crystals, zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have been developed for use as sensors [1–5], electronic materials [6–9], micro-reactors [10–13], and separation membranes. In particular, zeolite membranes have been attracting intense research interest as separation materials in the past decades. MOFs have also been studied in the field of membrane research in recent years. This chapter deals with zeolite and MOF membranes as separation materials. Membrane separations using polymeric membranes have become widespread worldwide for seawater desalination [14–16], waste water treatment [17,18], and clarification [19,20]. These membrane separation processes have considerably contributed