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Report Review
Journal of Membrane Science, 56 (1991) 121-122 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
121
Report Review
Advanced Separation Technology, Technology Impact Report T021, Frost and Sullivan, Inc., New York, NY. As the title implies, this report reviews “advanced” separation technologies - defined here as follows: l technologies that offer better performance or cost savings; l technologies that are not yet commercialized or, if already commercialized, that offer a new improvement that changes overall applications and economics; l technologies that can be used on highly dilute solutions, such as in various environmental applications or biotechnology; l existing technologies that are being targeted for new applications (e.g. supercritical fluid extraction); or l combinations of two traditional technologies in a novel fashion (e.g. HIGEE separation, which combines centrifugation and solvent extraction or distillation). Given the above universe of separations technologies, this report is an accurate and comprehensive resource., The authors get around the perennial challenge of organizing such reviews by first reviewing the technologies and then reviewing applications. This organization is effective because it gives the reader a technology background and reference material and also discusses how these technologies are being brought to bear on the “in” application areas (e.g. environmental, biological, and metal extractions). The authors state that membranes are leading the charge in advanced separations technologies and their report does an adequate job of covering this large field. However, the report also provides good, complete sections for other advanced separation technologies. Advanced solvents and sorbents, supercritical fluid extraction, biological separation processes, combined field separations, and freeze concentration processes are covered in some detail in both the technology and application sections. The only serious criticism of the technology and application sections is a notable lack of figures, which could have been used to enhance the explanations of the technologies and their applications. The report includes a comprehensive list of the “key players in separations research and development.” This will be very helpful to those companies looking to develop solutions to separations problems. The report ends with a section on the market potential of advanced separation technologies. This section
122
seems weak, but in fairness, doing this subject justice would fill at least one volume the size of the entire report. I would recommend purchase of this study by those who seek a resource on advances in separation technologies or by those with separation problems not served by “standard” technologies. I hope Frost and Sullivan will update this report every few years as advances in separation technologies become even more advanced. ROD
RAY
Bend Research (For more information contact: Frost and Sullivan, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1 W ODH, UK; tel. 071-730-3438; fax 071-730-3343)
121
Report Review
Advanced Separation Technology, Technology Impact Report T021, Frost and Sullivan, Inc., New York, NY. As the title implies, this report reviews “advanced” separation technologies - defined here as follows: l technologies that offer better performance or cost savings; l technologies that are not yet commercialized or, if already commercialized, that offer a new improvement that changes overall applications and economics; l technologies that can be used on highly dilute solutions, such as in various environmental applications or biotechnology; l existing technologies that are being targeted for new applications (e.g. supercritical fluid extraction); or l combinations of two traditional technologies in a novel fashion (e.g. HIGEE separation, which combines centrifugation and solvent extraction or distillation). Given the above universe of separations technologies, this report is an accurate and comprehensive resource., The authors get around the perennial challenge of organizing such reviews by first reviewing the technologies and then reviewing applications. This organization is effective because it gives the reader a technology background and reference material and also discusses how these technologies are being brought to bear on the “in” application areas (e.g. environmental, biological, and metal extractions). The authors state that membranes are leading the charge in advanced separations technologies and their report does an adequate job of covering this large field. However, the report also provides good, complete sections for other advanced separation technologies. Advanced solvents and sorbents, supercritical fluid extraction, biological separation processes, combined field separations, and freeze concentration processes are covered in some detail in both the technology and application sections. The only serious criticism of the technology and application sections is a notable lack of figures, which could have been used to enhance the explanations of the technologies and their applications. The report includes a comprehensive list of the “key players in separations research and development.” This will be very helpful to those companies looking to develop solutions to separations problems. The report ends with a section on the market potential of advanced separation technologies. This section
122
seems weak, but in fairness, doing this subject justice would fill at least one volume the size of the entire report. I would recommend purchase of this study by those who seek a resource on advances in separation technologies or by those with separation problems not served by “standard” technologies. I hope Frost and Sullivan will update this report every few years as advances in separation technologies become even more advanced. ROD
RAY
Bend Research (For more information contact: Frost and Sullivan, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1 W ODH, UK; tel. 071-730-3438; fax 071-730-3343)