European Membrane Institute (IEM)

The European Institute of Membranes (IEM) was founded in 2000. The institute brings together approximately 75 permanent staff members and about 100 non-permanent staff (master’s students, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting professors) to work on research, commercialization, and training projects in the field of membrane materials and processes.

IEM with the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM), the University of Montpellier (UM), and the National Center for Research (CNRS), and is located on the Triolet campus (UM).

IEM objectiveIEM to develop membranes and membrane processes that are likely to have significant societal implications in the fields of energy, water treatment, environmental protection, health, and food. It therefore brings together scientists from complementary disciplines to conduct multidisciplinary research that draws on highly specialized expertise in:

1. an understanding of the nature and structure of membranes, in terms of the materials used, their morphology, and the configuration employed;
2. the identification and control of interactions between the membrane surface, the environment, and the solutes to be separated;
3. the development of a process engineering and membrane engineering approach to model these phenomena and perform scale-up.

IEM organized into three scientific departments based on areas of expertise:

• “Design of Membrane Materials and Multifunctional Systems – DM3”;
• "Membrane Process Engineering – GPM ;
• "Interfaces, Physical Chemistry, Polymers – IP2."

The DM3 and IP2 departments are affiliated with the Balard Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences (ED SCB 459), and the GPM department GPM affiliated with the Doctoral School of Biodiversity, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Earth, and Water (ED GAIA 584).
In addition,IEM various analytical services (see website).

Label:Joint Research Unit Research UMR)
; Primary sponsoring organizations:CNRS, UM,ENSCM
; Research cluster:Chemistry
; Doctoral schools:Balard Chemical Sciences;Biodiversity, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Earth,Water
; HAL portal: the unit’s publications