Novel Separation Processes and Their Applications

Separation processes are an integral part of any process flow sheet. Various techniques can beused to separatethe mixture depending on the raw mix. Sometimes, two or more methods must be used to get the desiredproduct. Differences in chemical and physical properties also help decide the separation technique that mustbe used. An external agent, any form of energyor matter, can act as the driving force for the separation. Someof these techniques are conventional processes like distillation, filtration, adsorption, and absorption, whichhave already been well-studied and extensively used. These days newer separation processes called novelseparation processes, such as membrane separation, gas separation, supercritical fluid extraction, use ofultrasonics, chromatographic separation, magnetic projection, and liquid- liquid extraction, among manyothers, are gaining importance in the area of research and implementation. Novel processes were firstimplemented as analytical tools in laboratories. However, they developed rapidly to become significant commercially and technically. The development in gas separation techniques has led to using Liquified Natural Gas in Air Separation Units to produce high-purity nitrogen and oxygen4. Novel separation methods also include ultrasound to enhance separation processes like extraction, demulsification, and crystallisation. Pressure-driven processes are a subset of membrane separation techniques where pressure is utilised as a driving force for separation, with asemipermeable membrane acting as a barrier. This method has various applications ranging from wastewater treatment to dairy processing. Chiral chromatography is used for enantiomeric separations by the use ofHPLC. A new magnetic separation process proposes the separation of plastics by submerging them in a paramagnetic medium and attaching a magnet. This results in moving the particles inside the medium with different trajectories, thereby separating them. This article will scrutinise and briefly describe the essential aspects and developments of novelseparation processes and their applications.