Emerging advances of composite membranes for seawater pre-treatment: a review

Dipika Jaspal, Arti Malviya, Brahim El Allaoui, Nadia Zari, Rachid Bouhfid, Abou El Kacem Qaiss, Sanjay Bhagwat

Research output: Journal PublicationReview articlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

As the population continues to grow, the preservation of the world's water resources is becoming a serious challenge. The seawater desalination process is considered a sustainable option for the future. The two most common technologies used in desalination are reverse osmosis (RO) and membrane distillation (MD). However, membrane fouling caused by the accumulation of contaminants on the membrane surface is an emerging and growing problem. A pre-treatment stage is required to reach optimal efficiency during the desalination process since this stage is crucial for a successful desalination process. In this regard, the development of new material-based composite membranes has the potential to upgrade the anti-fouling features of RO membranes thereby enhancing desalination efficiency due to their high permeability, hydrophilicity, selectivity mechanical strength, thermal stability, and anti-bacterial properties. The objective of this review is to present various techniques for seawater pre-treatment. The results of the use of several membrane types and methods of modification have also been discussed. The performance of composite membranes for seawater pre-treatment is defined and the future perspectives have been highlighted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)408-429
Number of pages22
JournalWater Science and Technology
Volume88
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jul 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • composite membranes
  • desalination
  • graphene-based membrane
  • pre-treatment
  • reverse osmosis
  • seawater

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Water Science and Technology

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