Inorganic membrane could cut industrial separation costs

A new inorganic membrane for separating molecules under high temperatures could reduce the energy requirements of industrial processes. The membrane can be used under harsh conditions that would cause many commercial polymer-based membranes to fail.

Separation and purification processes in industry often use considerable amounts of energy and can be expensive. Now, a team of scientists from the US has created an inorganic membrane, capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 140°C, that could enable more sustainable molecular separations.