2026 international congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes
July 18th-25th, 2026
San Antonio, Texas, USA
The countdown has begun! Mark your calendars and plan on seeing the World Cup Semi-final in Dallas July 14 before the meeting.
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Reverse Osmosis
Bio-Refineries
Membrane Technology for PFAS removal
Ion Exchange and Electrically Driven Processes
Ultrathin Membranes
Nanofiltration
Transport through RO membranes
Membrane Adsorbers for Resource Recovery
Isoporous Membranes
Osmotic Membrane Processes
Catalytic & Membrane Reactors
Membrane Technology for Purification of Gene Therapies
Cation-Cation or Anion-Anion Selectivity
NAMS Award
Membrane Characterization
Biomimetic & Bioinspired Membranes
Hybrid Membranes
Mixed Matrix Membranes
Carbon Dioxide Capture
Vapor Permeation/Pervaporation
Biomedical & Bioseparations
Electrochemical Membrane Processes
Modeling
Membrane Fabrication using Sustainable Technologies
Membrane Module Design & Fabrication
Micro & Ultrafiltration
Poster Submissions
Wastewater Treatment
Emerging Membrane Science & Technology
Fouling
Aseanian Membrane Society Session
Sustainable Membranes and Processes
Responsive Membranes
Inorganic Membranes
Membrane Contactors
Surface Modification & Patterning
Desalination & Drinking Water
Gas Separations
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TBD
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TBD
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Detailed overview of workshops
1. Bioprocessing
· Focus on downstream purification process development, with emphasis on virus-retentive filtration applications. · Tangential flow filtration (TFF) implementation, scale-up/down, troubleshooting, and process development support. · Applied examples include peptide purification and single-pass TFF (SPTFF) for continuous/intensified processes.
2. Electrochemical processes using membranes
· Ion-exchange membranes (IEMs): transport/thermodynamics, analytical methods, characterization, and manufacturing. · Electro-driven unit ops: electrodialysis, electrolysis, fuel cells, and electrosorption. · Cross-sector (academia + national lab + industry) comprehensive workshop.
3. Workshop on Membranes for Water Treatment and Applications
· Practical guidance on desalination + wastewater reclamation: membrane selection, configurations, performance, operating conditions. · Toxic pollutant removal/destruction, including PFAS “detoxification,” and critical metals recovery using advanced functionalized/responsive membranes. · Includes feedwater quality & pretreatment, plus economics and module design/scale-up considerations.
4. Membrane Gas Separations
· Spans materials science + transport fundamentals through process design and economics for gas/vapor separations. · Module-focused content includes spiral-wound and hollow-fiber module manufacture, performance equations, and practical inefficiencies. · Applications section covers air separation, H₂ separation, natural gas (acid gas/N₂) separations, NGL recovery, VOC removal, plus emerging applications.
5. Introduction to Membrane Modeling and Scale-up Concepts
· Connects transport fundamentals to modeling practice; emphasizes hands-on examples and building process-level membrane models. · Hands-on work through staged templates. · Covers model development → sensitivity analysis/design specs → embedding the membrane model in a flowsheet with other unit ops.
6. Measurement Methods for Membranes
· Survey-style overview of membrane science via measurements: properties, instruments, techniques, and underlying principles. · Materials/structures, gas & liquid transport, metrology/porometry, surface/chemical measurements, and visualization/scattering, plus emerging characterization topics. · Includes pre-read journal articles + participant survey ahead of time, and ends with an industrial perspective/panel on how characterization supports business objectives. -
TBD
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Please contact the President of NAMS (president@membranes.org) if you are interest in exhibiting your products!
Details can be seen in the Prospectus, below (scroll down).
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Please contact the President of NAMS (president@membranes.org) if you want to sponsor this exciting conference!
Details can be seen in the Prospectus, below (scroll down).
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The NAMS awards committee is pleased to announce travel support for US-based undergraduate and graduate students to attend ICOM 2026 (San Antonio, TX) from July 18-25, 2026. These travel awards, generously sponsored by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), will provide a total of $1250 to each student. This is anticipated to cover the conference registration cost and 2-3 nights of hotel stay. About 10 undergraduate and 30 graduate students are expected to be selected for these awards.
Eligibility guidelines
Each research group can nominate a maximum of 1 graduate student and 1 undergraduate student for these awards. Priority for selecting undergraduate students will be given to groups from which no graduate students have been selected
Recipients of other 2025 NAMS fellowships/awards (Elias Klien, Student fellowships etc.) are not eligible for these awards
Students must be from US-based institutions; permanent residency/citizenship not required
Undergraduate and graduate students applying for this award must be currently enrolled in their degree programs
Undergraduate students need not have prior background/experience in membrane science
Travel award application process – due by January 31, 2026
The following documents must be submitted to isabel.escobar@uky.edu to be considered for these awards:
1–2-page curriculum vitae
Abstract(s) for planned poster and/or presentations for ICOM 2026
Research dossier (maximum 2 pages with references)
Use “NSF Undergraduate and Graduate Student Travel Awards for ICOM 2026” as the email subject line
For graduate students: Explaining the intellectual merits and broader impacts of the work to be presented at ICOM. If the student is planning to present on multiple topics, only one of the topics should be chosen for this research dossier.
Intellectual merits : 1. Background and importance of work; 2. Novelty of the approach; 3. Key findings (if any); and 4. Conclusions and future work.
Broader impacts : Explain the broader impacts of the work in terms of perceived societal impacts and benefits to the field of separations and membrane science
For undergraduate students:
Intellectual merits : 1. Background of work; 2. Methods and techniques used for work; 3. Key findings of the work; 4. Summary and future work
Broader impacts: Explain the problem you are trying to address, your solution and the perceived societal benefits of your solution in layman terms
Award recipients will be announced by March 1.
Requirements from award recipients
All award recipients will be at least guaranteed a poster at ICOM 2026
Award recipients must attend the student workshops
All recipients will be required to make a 3-minute video explaining the background, significance, and societal benefits of their work in layman terms. The recipients will be mentored by Planet Forward (https://planetforward.org/) to create these videos and the top 3 videos will be selected for additional awards and posted on the NAMS website. The results for the top 3 videos will be announced during the awards ceremony of the conference. More detailed instructions for these videos will be shared with the travel award recipients.
Any questions should be directed to Prof. Oishi Sanyal (oishi.sanyal@mail.wvu.edu)
event program
Sponsorship Prospectus
We are delighted to invite the membrane community to the most anticipated event on the 2026 Membrane Calendar: ICOM 2026!
Isabel Escobar, University of Kentucky
Jamie Hestekin, University of Arkansas
Ryan Lively, Georgia Institute of Technology
Plenary speakers
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![A professional woman with short gray hair, glasses, and red lipstick wearing a navy blazer, pearl necklace, and striped blouse, standing indoors with metal stairs in the background.]()
Prof. Suzana Nunes
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Suzana Nunes is Professor of Chemical and Environmental Science and Engineering at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. Her research is dedicated to the development of material and membranes for sustainable separations in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and water sector. She was the laureate of the 2023 L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award for Africa and the Arab States recognized for her achievements in chemistry. She is a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, Sao Paulo Academy of Science, Brazil. She has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Campinas, Brazil. She was a Humboldt postdoc Fellow in polymer physical chemistry at the Johannes Gutenberg University. Before KAUST, she led research on membranes for renewable energy at Helmholtz Association in Germany. -
![An elderly man with glasses and a mustache, wearing a light blue collared shirt and black suspenders, standing in front of a wall with framed photographs.]()
Dr. Richard Baker
Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.
Dr. Richard Baker earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Imperial College London in 1966, studying under membrane science pioneer R. M. Barrer. He began his career at Amicon Corporation, helping develop Diaflow® ultrafiltration membranes, and later contributed to Alza Corporation’s Ocusert® drug delivery system. In 1974, he co-founded Bend Research, serving as Director of Research until 1981.
In 1982, Dr. Baker founded Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR), serving as president for 25 years. Under his leadership, MTR became a global leader in membrane-based separations, particularly for removing organic vapors from light gases, with over 500 systems installed worldwide. MTR also developed gas separation technologies for natural gas and refining.
Dr. Baker stepped down as president in 2007 but remains on MTR’s board, focusing on CO₂ capture membrane development.
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![Man speaking into a microphone wearing glasses, a suit, and a name tag.]()
Prof. Xiwang Zhang
The University of Queensland
Prof. Xiwang Zhang is the Endowed Dow Chair in Sustainable Engineering Innovation at The University of Queensland, where he also serves as Director of the UQ Dow Centre and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide (GetCO2). Prior to joining UQ in early 2022, he was the Founding Director of the ARC Industry Transformation Research Hub for Energy-efficient Separation (EESep) and Deputy Director of the Monash Centre for Membrane Innovation (MCMI) at Monash University. His research centres on membrane and advanced oxidation technologies for energy-efficient separation, resource recovery, green chemical synthesis, carbon dioxide conversion, and renewable energy generation. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) in 2024.
attending the event
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The link for abstract submission can be found here: https://aiche.confex.com/aiche/icom26/cfp.cgi
Note that this will open up a link to the AIChE confex system.
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Registration opens Fall 2025.
Registration costs are as follows:
Student Member, early/late: $500/$550
Regular Member, early/late: $900/$1000
Student with Membership Renewal or Purchase, early/late: $520/$620
Regular Attendee with Membership Renewal or Purchase, early/late: $960/$1060
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“The San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk greets you with the city's authentic culture. This newly renovated hotel features the exclusive M Club alongside indoor and outdoor pools. The San Antonio River Walk hotel places you in the heart of the city, just steps from popular attractions, dining, shopping, and entertainment. Enjoy a day of family fun exploring the Alamo, take in views from the Tower of the Americas, or visit local adventure parks. At the end of the day, come together to enjoy award-winning dishes and handcrafted cocktails at the hotel’s signature bar and restaurant, Tributary, and start your next morning with your favorite coffee beverage at Cafe Bocadillo. “
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The venue and the hotel are the same. We will post additional hotel suggestions if the Marriott becomes oversubscribed.
The group rate link is active and can be found at the top of the page.
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There are direct flights to San Antonio from most major cities in the United States. We recommend using Uber instead of renting a car at the airport.
If you are traveling internationally and require a visa, please contact the conference chairs as soon as possible.
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Check back soon!
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Workshops will be available on the Saturday and Sunday before ICOM (July 18th and 19th)
Membranes for Water Treatment Applications
Measurement Methods for Membranes
Electrochemical Process Using Membranes
Introduction to Modeling and Scale-up Concepts
Membranes for Gas Separations
Workshop pricing:
Regular attendee early/late: $525/$680 per workshop
Student attendee early/late: $260/$350 per workshop
Meeting Co-Chairs
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![A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling, wearing a geometric patterned blouse and a necklace.]()
Isabel Escobar
University of Kentucky
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![A man in a white lab coat and glasses standing with arms crossed inside a laboratory or workshop, with shelves holding bottles and boxes, and a window showing trees outside.]()
Jamie Hestekin
University of Arkansas
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![A young man in a dark blazer and white shirt smiling in a well-lit indoor space with large windows and greenery outside.]()
Ryan Lively
Georgia Institute of Technology
