Journal of Membrane Science

Journal of Membrane Science
Title	Journal of Membrane Science
Discipline	Chemical engineering; Materials science
Publisher	Elsevier
Country	Netherlands
Frequency	Weekly
History	1976–present
Impact	13.5
Issn	0376-7388

Journal of Membrane Science is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on synthetic and biological membranes and membrane-based processes across chemical engineering, materials science, and environmental engineering. Established in 1976, it publishes original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing advances in membrane materials, transport phenomena, and separation technologies relevant to industries such as petrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, water purification, and energy storage. The journal is published by Elsevier and read by researchers affiliated with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, and Tsinghua University.

History

The journal was founded in 1976 amid rising interest generated by developments at organizations like Union Carbide and research programs at laboratories including Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Early editorial leadership included scholars connected to universities such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the title documented technological milestones paralleling projects at U.S. Department of Energy, European Commission, and consortia such as Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.. The journal’s evolution tracks parallel advances at companies and institutions like Dow Chemical Company, BASF, DuPont, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Scope and Topics

The journal addresses a range of subjects including polymeric membranes, inorganic membranes, mixed-matrix membranes, and biomimetic membranes relevant to sectors represented by Shell plc, BP, Siemens, and General Electric. Articles often intersect with research from centers such as Max Planck Society, Riken, and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology and topics pursued at universities like Stanford University, University of Oxford, Peking University, and University of Tokyo. Specific areas covered include gas separation explored in projects at NASA, desalination advanced by teams at Suez Company and Veolia, pervaporation investigated by groups at Nanyang Technological University, and fuel cell membranes developed in collaborations involving Toyota, Honda, and Ballard Power Systems.

Editorial Structure and Peer Review

The editorial board comprises academics and industry scientists affiliated with institutions such as McMaster University, University of Pennsylvania, Kyoto University, National University of Singapore, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. The editor-in-chief role has been held by researchers who also hold appointments at organizations like Royal Society fellows and members of academies including the National Academy of Engineering and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Manuscripts undergo peer review by reviewers drawn from networks involving American Chemical Society divisions, Institute of Chemical Engineers, and editorial practices aligned with publishing standards used by Elsevier and associations such as Committee on Publication Ethics. The journal implements single- or double-blind review workflows comparable to those at Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Advanced Materials.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major databases and services including ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and discipline-specific indices used by researchers at Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier platforms. Abstracting coverage parallels listings in resources relied on by libraries such as British Library, Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, and university consortia like JSTOR subscribers and institutional repositories at Harvard University and Yale University. Citation metrics are tracked by organizations including Clarivate, Elsevier’s Scopus metrics, and aggregators used by researchers at Google Scholar and ResearchGate.

Impact and Reception

The journal has been cited in influential reports and policy documents from bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, and national research councils including the UK Research and Innovation and National Science Foundation. Its impact factor and citation profiles are compared alongside titles such as Chemical Engineering Journal, Separation and Purification Technology, Desalination, and AIChE Journal. Reviews in professional outlets and recognition by award committees associated with the European Membrane Society and the American Chemical Society reflect its standing in the membrane community and in collaborations with industrial partners like 3M and Honeywell.

Notable Publications and Contributions

Landmark papers published in the journal have reported breakthroughs in areas related to reverse osmosis technologies developed at Koch Industries affiliates, gas separation membranes paralleling innovations from Air Liquide projects, and polymer electrolyte membranes central to demonstrations by General Motors and Ford Motor Company. Seminal reviews on topics such as block copolymer membranes cited work from researchers at University of Minnesota, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Cornell University. Contributions have influenced large-scale implementations at municipal systems in cities like Singapore, Dubai, and Los Angeles, and have been foundational for start-ups spun out of universities including MIT spin-offs and technology transfer from University of Cambridge.

Category:Materials science journals Category:Chemical engineering journals