Polymeric membranes for environmental remediation: A product space model perspective.

The development of polymeric membranes from polymers such as polystyrene (PS), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and their associated family has brought great momentum to the environmental remediation universe, mainly due to their surprisingly diverse and multi-purpose nature. Their usage has surged 20 times in the last half-century and is likely to double again in the coming 20 years. As a result, the polymeric materials economy and commercialization of research become increasingly important as a possible option for a country to boost prosperity while decreasing its reliance on limited raw resources and mitigating negative externalities.