A review of zeolite materials used in membranes for water purification: history, applications, challenges and future trends

Abstract

This review provides a fundamental assessment of the potential of zeolite particles incorporated into polymeric membranes in view of improving the performance of these membranes. Zeolites are of interest as having extensive potential in separation processes due to their unique frameworks and properties. Significant investigations have been carried out to improve conventional membrane properties by the inclusion of zeolites. Zeolite membranes can be classified into three categories: (i) selfsupported zeolite membranes, (ii) inorganic-supported zeolite membranes and (iii) zeolites mixed into a polymeric membrane matrix or top layer. The focus of this review is on nanosized zeolite particles incorporated into the polymeric structure of membranes, with specific attention to a polyamide layer used in pressure-driven membrane processes such as reverse osmosis. The incorporation of inorganic zeolite particles in the polymer matrix enhances the permeability without decreasing the selectivity, and increases the mechanical strength in a harsh environment and fouling and chlorine resistance of the membranes. Agglomeration of nanosized zeolites and defect formation are highlighted as the main obstacles to the fabrication of large-scale highperformance zeolite membranes in order to identify strategies to solve these issues. Among the different strategies, adding a crosslinking agent to the interfacial polymerization process might be a promising method for fabricating homogeneous zeolite-polymer composite membranes with excellent performance. This paper provides a better understanding of the knowledge acquired in the development of polymer-based zeolite nanocomposite membranes and gives perspectives for future research.

A Review of Pectin-Based Material for Applications in Water Treatment

“…Table 1 shows a partial list of examples for adsorbents used in wastewater treatment. Some of them are carbon materials such as graphene oxide, bio-char [ 10 , 63 ], or activated carbons [ 64 , 65 , 66 ]), silica-based materials [ 67 , 68 , 69 ], inorganic materials such as zeolites [ 70 , 71 , 72 ], mineral clays [ 73 , 74 ], and organic materials such as polysaccharides [ 75 , 76 ]. In the latter case, the way in which the removal of contaminants occurs is not sufficiently clear in the literature.…”

Development of nanocomposite membranes for removal of pharmaceutically active compounds in water: A review

“…Zeolite-based nanocomposite membranes have been reported for the removal of PhACs in water. Zeolite may be referred to as a green ceramic membrane precursor [103,186] . They are the three-dimensional crystalline structure of aluminosilicates [187] .…”

Polymer/Graphene Nanocomposite Membranes: Status and Emerging Prospects

“…The crucial thoughtfulness of the structure-property relationships of polymer/graphene membranes has been found to be essential for future developments. Thus, research concerning polymer/graphene-derived membranes has been an emerging field, expecting further research attention in the future [149].…”