Impact of membrane engineering on the process engineering progresses: Towards a sustainable development.

• The role of membrane engineering for more sustainable industrial cycles is reported. • Membrane crystallizers improvement by operating conditions and membrane material. • Multifunctional membrane reactor for the direct conversion of CO2 and H2 to DME. • Exergy analyses to minimize the exergy destruction of desalination plants. • New metrics to assess the role of membrane operations in Process Intensification. The fast growing of membrane systems in industrial applications suggests the dissemination of last results, particularly in the areas of strategic interest. In this contribution, the role of membrane engineering for more sustainable industrial cycles, following the Process Intensification strategy, is reported. The development of Membrane Crystallizers (MCr) with specific focus on their application to the treatment of brines is presented, together with the use of molecular dynamic simulation to help in the selection of the most appropriate membrane material. The potential of membrane reactors for CO 2 valorization through new designs is also highlighted. Moreover, tools like exergy analyses and new metrics to compare the performance of membrane operations to conventional ones in the logic of Process Intensification are discussed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]