A Novel Application of Oceanic Biopolymers — Strategic Regulation of Polymer Characteristics for Membrane Technology in Separation Engineering

Abstract

Membranes prepared from oceanic biopolymers have a high potential in membrane separation processes and water purification. It is anticipated to result in more biocompatible and lower-cost materials compared with artificial polymers. This chapter describes the excellent performance of oceanic biopolymer membranes in separation engineering and the regulation factors controlling membrane properties. In particular, chitosan and alginate were picked up as intelligent membrane materials to provide the promised molecular size recognition and other membrane properties. Future prospective strategies for a simple methodology for preparing stable membranes from oceanic biopolymers and the development of selective separation processing were reviewed.