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Membrane reactors
Article By:
Tsuru, Toshinori Department of Chemical Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Last reviewed:2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB120346
Reaction and separation are the most important parts of chemical processes. As shown in Fig. 1, reaction and separation in conventional chemical processes are carried out in separate units, whereas a membrane reactor (MR) combines the catalytic reaction and the membrane separation in one unit. Membrane reactors were proposed after membranes were developed in the 1960s. At present, the membrane bioreactor (MBR), in which porous membranes such as microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes are combined with activated sludge processes for wastewater treatment, has been widely commercialized. Recent progresses in inorganic membranes, such as zeolite and silica membranes, which enable high-temperature operation, make membrane reactors highly promising for applications in the chemical industries.
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