Book excerpt: Written by a dedicated lecturer and leading membrane scientist, who has worked both in academia and industry, this advanced textbook provides an impressive overview of all aspects of membranes and their applications. Together with numerous industrial case studies, practical examples and questions, the book provides an excellent and comprehensive introduction to the topic. Advanced students as well as process and chemical engineers working in industry will profit from this resource. A significant feature of the book is the treatment of more recently developed membranes and their applications in energy conversion, biomedical components, controlled release devices and environmental engineering with an indication of the present and future commercial impact. The solutions to the questions in the book can be found under http://www.wiley-vch.de/publish/en/books/ISBN3-537-32451-8/ From the Contents: * Introduction * Fundamentals * Membrane Preparation and Characterization * Principles of Membrane Separation Processes * Membrane Modules and Concentration Polarization * Membrane Process Design and Operation