110th Anniversary: The Missing Link Unearthed: Materials and Process Intensification

For many years, process intensification has been seen and considered through the prism of equipment and methods. The current review paper adds a new perspective to it and examines the role of (advanced) materials in process intensification. The discussion is illustrated with numerous examples of various types of materials that have been shown to intensify chemical and catalytic reactions, mass transfer, heat transfer, and momentum transfer processes, respectively. The role of process intensification in manufacturing of new, advanced materials is also discussed. In view of the importance of materials for process intensification, an update of the classical approach to the field of PI is postulated.