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Membrane Filtration with Liquids: A Global Approach with Prior Successes, New Developments and Unresolved Challenges
Author(s) -
Belfort Georges
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201809548
Subject(s) - membrane , concentration polarization , mass transport , filtration (mathematics) , fouling , permeation , membrane fouling , transport phenomena , mass transfer , polymer , isothermal process , chemical engineering , materials science , selectivity , process engineering , chemistry , chromatography , biochemical engineering , engineering , mechanics , thermodynamics , composite material , physics , organic chemistry , biochemistry , statistics , mathematics , catalysis
After 70 years, modern pressure‐driven polymer membrane processes with liquids are mature and accepted in many industries due to their good performance, ease of scale‐up, low energy consumption, modular compact construction, and low operating costs compared with thermal systems. Successful isothermal operation of synthetic membranes with liquids requires consideration of three critical aspects or “legs” in order of relevance: selectivity, capacity (i.e. permeation flow rate per unit area) and transport of mass and momentum comprising concentration polarization (CP) and fouling (F). Major challenges remain with respect to increasing selectivity and controlling mass transport in, to and away from membranes. Thus, prediction and control of membrane morphology and a deep understanding of the mechanism of dissolved and suspended solute transport near and in the membrane (i.e. diffusional and convective mass transport) is essential. Here, we focus on materials development to address the relatively poor selectivity of liquid membrane filtration with polymers and discuss the critical aspects of transport limitations. Machine learning could help optimize membrane structure design and transport conditions for improved membrane filtration performance.