The study of catalytic membranes and membrane reactor processes is a multidisciplinary
activity, which in recent years has attracted the attention of scientists and engineers
in a number of disciplines, including materials science, chemistry and biology, and chemical
and biochemical engineering. For a process to qualify as a membrane reactor
system, it must not simply combine a membrane separation unit with a chemical reactor;
it must integrally couple them in such a fashion that a synergy is created between
the two units, potentially resulting in enhanced performance in terms of separation, selectivity
and yield. Often the membrane separation module and reactor are physically
combined into the same unit. Such combination promises to result in a process, which
is more compact and less capital intensive, and with potential substantial savings in processing
costs. During the last twenty years this technical concept has attracted substantial
worldwide research and process development efforts. This is the first book, we
are aware of, that is completely dedicated to the topic of membrane reactors. It aims
and hopes to introduce the topic and serve as reference for a wide audience of scientists
and engineers.