An artificial (synthetic) membrane is a membrane prepared for separation tasks in laboratory and industry. Its active part, which permits selective transport of material, consists usually of polymers or ceramics, seldom glass or metals. A membrane may contain auxiliary parts like mechanical support, drainage, patch etc.

Driving force of the material transport is given by concentration, pressure, electrical or chemical gradient across the membrane.

Membranes can be prepared in the form of flat sheets, tubes, capillaries and hollow fibres.

Membranes are built in membrane systems like plate and frame, spiral wound module, hollow fibre module, tube-in-shell module.

Most common are polymeric membranes.