Introduction to Membrane Science International

Abstract

With great pleasure, I open the first issue of the new Journal “Membrane Science International.” The Journal has an important mission: to report and disseminate the latest research and studies on Membrane Science and Technology.
Membrane Science is growing very fast in different fields thanks to the features of membrane operations which require mild operating conditions, low energy, no phase changes, and no use of chemicals, which is considered to be simple in operation, modular, and easy to be integrated with other technologies and to be scaled up. We know very well that some of the membrane technologies can be considered dominant and are already applied with success in several sectors, such as in energy, water treatment, gas separation, and biomedical applications. Accordingly, it is worth mentioning that Reverse Osmosis, which is the dominant technology in desalination and membrane bioreactors, is considered the best available technology for municipal wastewater and hemodialysis in the biomedical field. Along with this, thanks to the continuous innovation of membrane technologies and the contribution of all membrane scientists, the application of membrane operations is expected to be extended to other fields, always in the favor of more sustainable development. In fact, some of the emerging membrane technologies, for example, the “family” of membrane contactors (membrane distillation, membrane crystallizers, membrane emulsification, membrane condensers, and membrane dryers), are now becoming more and more consolidated technologies and are applied in different industrial sectors. However, sustainable development is not only related to the membrane processes but also membrane fabrication. In this logic, the use of more sustainable solvents and materials is opening a new Era in membrane fabrication, which is in the direction of the World’s changing needs, toward more sustainable use of the resources and reuse of the waste too. We, as membranologists, have an important mission to push the production system from the use of petroleum-derived products toward the use of new chemicals derived from renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable sources. Undeniably, there is still far to go, but the trail has been blazed.
I, therefore, invite all membranologists to submit novel articles and contributions to this Journal to expand the reach of the Membrane Science and Technology to both the academic and industrial worlds.