Membrane Distillation for Desalination and Current Advances in MD Membranes

Abstract

Desalination is a great technique to address the growing demand for water because it is essential for humans. Water treatment and desalination are two common uses for the membrane-based, non-isothermal MD (Membrane Distillation) process. It works at low pressure and temperature, and heat from waste and solar energy can meet the process's heat requirements. In MD, dissolved salts and nonvolatile contaminants are rejected as the vapors go through the membrane's pores and start condensing at the permeate side. However, because to the lack of a suitable and adaptable membrane, biofouling, wetting and water efficacy are the main problems for MD. Many researchers have recently worked on membrane composites and attempted to create effective, appealing, and unique membranes for membrane distillation. This review article talks about water shortages in the 21st century, the rise of desalination, the use of membrane distillation (MD), recent developments in membrane distillations, developments in pilot scale MD technologies, New developments in membrane fabrication and modification, the desired properties of membranes, and desalination membranes.

Surface modification for enhanced Anti‐Wetting properties of electrospun omniphobic membranes in membrane distillation

“…Although MD is not driven by pressure, it still necessitates the utilization of a hydrophobic membrane with exceptional mechanical strength to ensure its long‐term operation 4,6,21–23 . The membrane's mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus, play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the membrane's pore size.…”

“…As a result, the MD process may be used to treat salt water and wastewater, resulting in potable water and a concentration consisting of the same elements as the mother liquid, but at a feed side. The vapor pressure gradient ( P = P f − P p ) caused by the temperature difference between the feed (f) and the permeate (p) is the primary force at work here 5,6 …”