Hollow Fiber Membrane for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration: A Mini Review

Abstract

Organic solvents take up 80% of the total chemicals used in pharmaceutical and related industries, while their reuse rate is less than 50%. Traditional solvent treatment methods such as distillation and evaporation have many disadvantages such as high cost, environmental unfriendliness, and difficulty in recovering heat-sensitive, high-value molecules. Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has been a prevalent research topic for the separation and purification of organic solvent systems since the beginning of this century with the benefits of no-phase change, high operational flexibility, low cost, as well as environmental friendliness. Especially, hollow fiber (HF) OSN membranes have gained a lot of attention due to their high packing density and easy scale-up as compared with flat-sheet OSN membranes. This paper critically reviewed the recent research progress in the preparation of HF OSN membranes with high performance, including different materials, preparation methods, and modification treatments. This paper also predicts the future direction of HF OSN membrane development.

Hollow Fiber Membrane Modification by Interfacial Polymerization for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration

“…There are primarily three configurations for OSN membranes: flat-sheet (FS), hollow fiber (HF), and tubular configurations, as shown in Figure 1 [12]. FS configuration is the simplest form of an OSN membrane, often used in lab-scale experiments and small-scale applications [13].…”

“…Fewer review articles have been published on HF OSN membranes in comparison, which mainly discuss in detail crosslinking and its methods [10], as well as polybenzimidazole (PBI) HF membranes [19]. One cannot find a recent review specifically addressing HF OSN membranes, including their material development, fabrication, and treatment methods [12]. This review aims to highlight the current research advancements in the fabrication of TFC HF membranes, with a focus on interfacial polymerization and the use of bio-based materials.…”

Recent advances in the fabrication of organic solvent nanofiltration membranes using covalent/metal organic frameworks

“…3 Consequently, membrane technology has garnered significant attention among the multitude of available separation technologies for organic solvents, attributed to its exceptional separation efficiency and minimal spatial requirements. 4,5…”

“…3 Consequently, membrane technology has garnered significant attention among the multitude of available separation technologies for organic solvents, attributed to its exceptional separation efficiency and minimal spatial requirements. 4,5 In recent years OSN has emerged as a promising sustainable technology and environmentally friendly process for the separation of solutes with molecular weights ranging from 150 to 1000 g mol À1 . 1,[6][7][8][9][10] This technology is particularly appealing due to its ability to carry out separation processes from organic solvents under mild conditions, eliminating the need for additional chemicals or additives and preventing thermal degradation of sensitive molecular products.…”

“…3 The fundamental principle involves the permeation of solvents and small solutes through a membrane at room temperature, while larger solutes are retained, facilitating separation with minimal solvent loss and mitigating fire threats. 4 Over time, researchers have demonstrated the practicality of OSN technology across various industries, including pharmaceuticals (for pharmaceutical ingredients and solvent recovery), food, fine chemicals, and petrochemicals. 3,[11][12][13][14][15] Crafting durable OSN membranes that excel in separation poses a formidable challenge primarily attributed to the intricate environments in which these separations take place.…”