The microelectronics industry has been revolutionized by technologies that boast ever-increasing capabilities in increasingly smaller areas. Now, the ability to pack high functionality into smaller devices is poised to transform the chemical process industries (CPI) as well. This is particularly evident in separations processes used in the manufacture of commodity chemicals and fuels, where next-generation systems will significantly reduce the energy intensity of the CPI. In the September AIChE Journal Perspective article, "Water and Beyond: Expanding the Spectrum of Large-Scale Energy Efficient Separation Processes," William Koros, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ryan Lively, a post-doctoral research fellow at Georgia Tech and Algenol Biofuels, discuss the use of membranes and sorbents to replace thermally driven technologies.
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