1. Context

Membrane technologies are all the rage worldwide, with 7% growth forecast for 2013 in a market worth over $9 billion in the membrane water treatment sector alone . In addition to the water sector, there are currently multiple implications in emerging technologies, ranging from blood purification systems to energy production and storage. A membrane is a thin film through which certain species are transported while others are retained, for example due to their difference in size or electrostatic charge. Its use in the water cycle includes the production of drinking water and the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater. In this case, the membrane...