Chapter Two
Separations Versus Sustainability
There Is No Such Thing As a Free Lunch
L.M. Vane US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Abstract
Separation operations in chemical processes are generally “uphill” tasks—defying natural tendencies. Historically, such separations have been accomplished by applying generous portions of fossil energy and materials, leaving behind a large environmental footprint. In this chapter, progress in reducing this footprint will be discussed with examples in biofuel production, desalination, and carbon dioxide capture.
Keywords
Alternative separation processes; Distillation; Extraction; Membrane-based separationThe Separations Dilemma and Imperative
Industrial separation processes have a ...
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