Materials and Applications for Functional Polymer Membranes

Abstract

This chapter covers an inclusive overview of the polymeric membranes with advanced functions in numerous applications such as water and gas separation, medical and emerging technologies include fuel cells, lithium-ions batteries, electroconductive, and optoelectronics. The membrane’s performance and behavior in terms of selectivity, permeability, and separation process for these applications are determined by the materials used in the membrane’s construction. Thus, in this chapter, the potential of different polymers for functional membranes are discussed including their applications based on their suitability in terms of types, fabrications, and mechanisms. For each application, the polymer membrane technology, the challenges, and the future direction are also discussed. The membrane technology is also always evolving, especially the development of functional polymer membranes for a variety of applications, so that quality of life is improved.