About this Research Topic
This Research Topic on Separations for Energy and Environmental Applications has historic relevance. The U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories was established in the 1940s to separate nuclear isotopes. Over the past several decades, problems have evolved, but separations are still needed for a variety of problems related to energy, water, and the environment. Separations are involved in many processes of nuclear energy applications, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, and treatment of waste; in CO2 capture for fossil energy; and in recovery of rare earths, lithium, and other critical materials for renewable energy and energy storage. Water treatment, desalination, and recycling processes that are relevant to energy and environmental applications also include a variety of separation processes.
This Research Topic is focused on separation science and technology for energy and environmental applications toward energy and environmental sustainability. A wide range of research topics are considered including water-energy nexus, environmental separations, current problems in nuclear energy, CO2 capture from flue gas generated by fossil-energy power plants, etc. Various types of processes are also included, such as liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, absorption, membrane separations, water and wastewater treatment processes, etc. While the Research Topic represents a variety of energy and environmental research topics, the focus is on separations processes. Experimental contributions and modeling work are welcome.
The goal is to add high-quality papers to the literature of separations for energy and environmental applications including new separations processes (e.g., intensified processes by electric and magnetic fields), novel and emerging materials (e.g., new membranes and adsorbents), and current energy-related problems (e.g., separation of rare-earth elements and lithium, CO2 capture, wastewater treatment).
Themes that will be included in this Research Topic on Separations for Energy and Environmental Applications include, but are not limited to, the following:
• CO2 capture
• Separations related to nuclear energy
• Separations of critical materials
• Water treatment and desalination
This Research Topic is focused on separation science and technology for energy and environmental applications toward energy and environmental sustainability. A wide range of research topics are considered including water-energy nexus, environmental separations, current problems in nuclear energy, CO2 capture from flue gas generated by fossil-energy power plants, etc. Various types of processes are also included, such as liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, absorption, membrane separations, water and wastewater treatment processes, etc. While the Research Topic represents a variety of energy and environmental research topics, the focus is on separations processes. Experimental contributions and modeling work are welcome.
The goal is to add high-quality papers to the literature of separations for energy and environmental applications including new separations processes (e.g., intensified processes by electric and magnetic fields), novel and emerging materials (e.g., new membranes and adsorbents), and current energy-related problems (e.g., separation of rare-earth elements and lithium, CO2 capture, wastewater treatment).
Themes that will be included in this Research Topic on Separations for Energy and Environmental Applications include, but are not limited to, the following:
• CO2 capture
• Separations related to nuclear energy
• Separations of critical materials
• Water treatment and desalination
Keywords: Energy sustainability, environmental sustainability, energy and environment, environmental separations, water-energy nexus
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
