Freshwater deficiency has become a significant issue affecting many nations’ social and economic development because of the fast-growing demand for water resources. Nanofiltration (NF) is one of the promising technologies for water reclamation application, particularly in desalination, water, and wastewater treatment fields. Nevertheless, membrane fouling remains a significant concern since it can reduce the NF membrane performance and increase operating expenses. Consequently, numerous studies have focused on improving the NF membrane’s resistance to fouling. This review highlights the recent progress in NF modification strategies using three types of antifouling modifiers, i.e., nanoparticles, polymers, and composite polymer/nanoparticles. The correlation between antifouling performance and membrane properties such as hydrophilicity, surface chemistry, surface charge, and morphology are discussed. The challenges and perspectives regarding antifouling modifiers and modification strategies conclude this review.
1 May 2017 in Microporous and Mesoporous Materials
The development of mixed matrix membrane (MMM) in gas separation process has drawn great attention due to its promising properties. MMM consists of a polymer as the matrix phase, whereas the inorganic filler serves as the dispersed phase. However, poor contact between these two phases often results in unselective gas flow and becomes one of the major issues in the MMM development. Currently, various modification techniques of the inorganic filler to improve the compatibility between the polymers and the particles have been reported. Because of this modification, the CO2 separation from natural gas is expected to enhance. This review provides a better understanding about the modification of inorganic filler. Mechanisms and factors affecting the modification of filler such as the effect of solvent polarity, the effect of water content in solvent, and the effect of drying condition are discussed. The details of the current progress in the MMM involving the silane-modified fillers are also summarized.
1 April 2018 in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering