Less conventional separation processes applied in the chemical industry are discussed (mainly, those based on the use of membranes and solid adsorbents). The primary aim is to provide to the students a description of the main features of each process along with the main equations to be applied for an effective process design.

Students attending this course are expected to:

- become familiar with separation mechanisms and industrial implementation of all the discussed processes;

- become familar with the main equations to be used to design and optimize the corresponding separation processes;

- understand the relationship between the main process variables and the separation performance.

- Fundamental concepts (basic separation techniques and their classification, selection of feasible separations, short account of thermodynamics and mass transfer)

- Membrane Separations: membrane materials, modules, transport through porous membranes (liquid and gas), dialysis, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, gas permeation, pervaporation.

- Adsorption and Ion Exchange: adsorbent materials, ion exchangers, characterization techniques, adsorption equilibria (pure components and mixtures, gas and liquid adsorption), ion exchange equilibria, kinetics and transports (sorption modes, eluted peaks and separation efficiency, correlations for transport coefficients), scale-up considerations and process alternatives, frontal and pulse chromatography, equipment (multiple fixed bed, continuous moving bed, rotating annular chromatography), slurry/fixed bed adsorption systems, continuous adsorption systems (True Moving Bed, Simulated Moving Bed), Ion-Exchange cycle.

- Bioseparations: introduction, thermodynamics and mass transfer in biosystems, extraction of bioproducts (aqueous/organic, aqueous two-phases extraction supercritical fluid extraction), membranes in bioprocessing (operating modes, different filtrations), continuous adsorption and electrophoresis, crystallization of bioproducts (nucleation and growth, crystal size distribution, scale-up), mechanical separations (precipitation, coagulation, flocculation, clarification, sedimentation, cell disruption).

Oral exam. Different questions will be asked to explore the different topics discussed during the course. In particular:

- the understanding of the main separation mechanisms and industrial implementation of selected processes will be verified;

- the ability to write the main equations to be used to design and optimize selected separation processes will be checked;

- the deep understanding of the relationship between main process variables and separation performance will be tested.