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@article{193270,
        author = {Paluri Satya Veera Venkata Durga Phani Kumar and Solomon Godwin Babu N D},
        title = {Air Separation Technologies: Principles, Process Intensification, and Emerging Trends – A Comprehensive Review},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {9},
        pages = {4515-4521},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=193270},
        abstract = {Air separation technologies are fundamental to modern industrial infrastructure, enabling the production of oxygen, nitrogen, and argon for applications in metallurgy, healthcare, electronics, and clean energy systems. Growing demand for high-purity gases and increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption have driven significant advancements in separation methodologies. This review critically examines established technologies, including cryogenic distillation, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), vacuum swing adsorption (VSA), and membrane-based systems, highlighting their governing principles, operational characteristics, and performance limitations. A comparative assessment is presented in terms of purity, energy efficiency, scalability, and economic feasibility. Recent progress in advanced adsorbents, high-selectivity polymeric and mixed-matrix membranes, and hybrid process configurations is discussed to illustrate emerging pathways for process intensification. Integration strategies with renewable energy systems and hydrogen production are also considered in the context of decarbonization. The review identifies key challenges such as energy intensity, material stability, and long-term performance degradation, and outlines research directions aimed at developing sustainable, modular, and energy-efficient air separation systems.},
        keywords = {Air separation; Adsorption; Zeolites; Carbon molecular sieves; Metal–organic frameworks; Polymeric membranes; Mixed-matrix membranes; Ion transport membranes; Selectivity–permeability trade-off; Process intensification.},
        month = {February},
        }