Supported ionic liquid membranes for separations of gases and liquids: an overview

The separation of mixtures of gases and liquids is a topic of great interest in the oil industry, which in many cases still has not found a technology that could be really efficient, environmentally friendly and technically feasible to obtain pure gases as well as for the removal of pollutants in liquid feedstocks. In this sense, one of the most promising alternatives for the solution of both problems is the use of membrane technology. Particularly, supported-ionic-liquid-membrane-based technology has prompted great interest due to the combined characteristics of this system. On the one hand, supported membranes, using conventional solvents, are more stable and feature long-term performance; on the other hand, ionic liquids are environmental friendly solvents that can be designed for every specific application.