RIYADH: Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have developed a novel membrane technology that could significantly reduce energy consumption in industrial gas separation — a process that currently accounts for roughly 15 percent of global energy use.
The study, published in the journal Nature, describes a high-performance membrane composed of more than 90 percent metal-organic frameworks, which are highly porous materials renowned for their ability to separate gas molecules.
According to KAUST, the new membrane maintains the essential flexibility and durability required for large-scale industrial manufacturing.
Mohamed Eddaoudi, professor of chemical science and corresponding author of the study, emphasized the long-standing engineering hurdle behind scaling up advanced materials.
Eddaoudi said: “The challenge has never been discovering materials capable of performing these separations, but finding ways to manufacture them at the scale industry requires.
