The research into membrane separation at RITE has been divided into three main aspects: CO₂/N₂ (simulating separation and collection of CO₂ from combustion exhaust gases), CO₂/CH₄ (separation and collection of CO₂ from natural gas) and CO₂/H₂ (separation and collection of CO₂ from the Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC)). CO₂ separation from high pressure gas sources has the potential to significantly reduce costs because pumping would no longer be required to achieve a pressure differential and also because of an associated decrease in the required membrane area as a result of the large pressure difference on either side of the membrane.