Separation technologies/processes research needs

Products and processes based on electrochemical phenomena at present contribute nearly 30 billion per year to the gross national product of the United States. New additional markets having annual sales on the order of 20 billion are projected for electrochemical products and processes within the next decade. These markets include microelectronics, sensors, surface processing, membrane separations, advanced batteries and fuel cells, and corrosion control, among others. At present, however, there are no major federal programs focused on the broad range of electrochemical phenomena that underpin these areas, with the exception of batteries and fuel cells. (For the latter two areas, research recommendations are summarized in earlier reports—NMAB-390, Assessment of Research Needs for Advanced Battery Systems, and NMAB-411, Fuel Cell Materials Technology in Vehicular Propulsion.)... 

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