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Membranes research expertise

Find out about membranes research happening across our Faculty of Engineering & Design research centres.

Our research

We bring together significant expertise in fundamental and applied research in membranes.


We develop and deploy advanced membrane technologies across a wide range of sectors. Building on materials development and working on high-profile, industry-led projects, we explore new ways to make separation processes more cost and energy-efficient.

Our internationally renowned work on membranes offers huge potential for many sectors including:

  • petrochemical
  • biotechnology
  • healthcare
  • food processing
  • formulation
  • water and gas treatment
  • manufacturing

We cover everything from the molecular investigation of nanomaterials, to the manufacture of novel new membranes. We do much of this on-site using our specialised equipment in purpose-built labs. Much of our research focuses on making a real difference and positive impact where it's needed. We develop membranes to improve separation processes across many industries, including food processing, water treatment, and gas separation.

Example projects


  • A new membrane to improve the separation of the compound sterol from orange juice, allowing it to be reused as a dietary supplement to reduce cholesterol
  • Smart transdermal membranes to control the release of drugs into the skin in a non-invasive, programmable way
  • Novel contaminant-resistant membranes capable of producing pure hydrogen from organic waste
  • Fluid dynamic gauging technology to improve the cleaning of membranes, a system now widely adopted by other universities and industry
  • Sustainable membrane manufacturing for water desalination via membrane distillation and gas separations
  • Novel one-atom-thick membranes for high-performance carbon capture
Read some of our membranes publications
This bio-inspired polymeric membrane with biomimetic surface features enables energy-efficient resource recovery from challenging waste streams to achieve a circular economy.

Our experts

Find out who in our Centre for Integrated Materials, Processes & Structures is working on membranes.


Contact us

Email us to find out more about our research, opportunities to collaborate, or how to use our equipment and services.