A large amount of global energy is consumed in various filtration operations, such as wastewater treatment, petrochemical finishing, etc. However, the filter membranes currently in use have many drawbacks, including short life span, high energy consumption in use, and high manufacturing costs.

According to the report, Imperial College has joined forces with the Universities of Bath, Manchester and Newcastle to create a dedicated research collaboration to develop new materials that will improve the performance of industrial membranes. One of the projects, led by Imperial, will look at how polymers and ceramics can be used to create a new generation of membranes.
  
  The researchers say that current industrial membranes become very poorly permeable over time, leading to reduced filtration efficiency and increased energy consumption. If polymers and ceramics are used to make the membrane, it is expected to solve this problem, allowing it to maintain high filtration efficiency over a longer period of time.
  
  Andrew Livingston, a professor at Imperial College involved in the project, said that although modern society makes extensive use of membranes for filtration operations from water to oil, the materials used to make such membranes have not changed much in the past for a long time, which has affected the efficiency of the membranes, and the new generation of membranes under development is expected to change this situation, which in turn will benefit production in several industrial sectors.