Inorganic membranes fabricated by air plasma spray coating

Abstract

Environmental protection awareness and higher energy costs in recent decades have made membrane technology more economically competitive with conventional separation processes such as absorption, adsorption, distillation, or solvent extraction. While the market of the global membrane industry varies from one estimate to another, it is reported that the total sales of membrane modules, excluding the pumps, valves, instruments, or fluid pipe work external to the housing of the module, were estimated to have been just over $8 billion in 2003 and were expected to exceed $24 billion in 2008 1. The market forecasts include both organic polymeric membrane and inorganic ceramic or metal membranes.