Separation and Purification Technology PDF

Preface

Separation and purification technology is an intrinsic part of all chemical processing and bioprocessing. It is therefore not surprising that both conventional and novel separation and purification technologies are being continually adapted and developed to address new, important, and difficult problems in such diverse areas as biotechnology, food processing, electronic materials, polymers and ceramics, processing of energy and natural resources, environmental protection, and hazardous waste minimization and remediation. There are mature, established technologies existing side by side with novel, developing, “cutting edge” techniques and approaches. They constitute an area of continual and sometimes rapid evolution which, consequently, is periodically in need of some consolidation and review.

The current volume is directed at addressing some of these needs by chronicling developments and approaches in several selected applications areas. In doing so, it presents a useful blend of recent developments in theory, appplications, process technology, and related economics. Among the comprehensive reviews concerned with new and developing technologies are chapters on the application of membrane-based separations in biotechnology, commercial applications of emulsion liquid membranes, and economic evaluation of membrane technology. Chapters with strong environmental connotations include one on liquid waste concentration by electrodialysis and another on the application of immobilized bioadsorbents for the recovery of dissolved metals. Two other chapters address novel applications of complexation phenomena, while another deals with fundamental work in mass transfer from drops in pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns.

In summary, this volume provides a sampler of recent developments in separation and purification technology.

We wish to thank the staff of Marcel Dekker, Inc., for their editorial assistance and Dr. Jim Zhou for his assistance in preparing the subject index. We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the authors of all the chapters, who made this volume possible.

Author: Norman Li