New Trends in Biopolymer-Based Membranes for Pervaporation

Abstract

Biopolymers are currently the most convenient alternative for replacing chemically synthetized polymers in membrane preparation. To date, several biopolymers have been proposed for such purpose, including the ones derived from animal (e.g., polybutylene succinate, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalcanoates), vegetable sources (e.g., starch, cellulose-based polymers, alginate, polyisoprene), bacterial fermentation products (e.g., collagen, chitin, chitosan) and specific production processes (e.g., sericin). Particularly, these biopolymer-based membranes have been implemented into pervaporation (PV) technology, which assists in the selective separation of azeotropic water-organic, organic-water, organic-organic mixtures, and specific separations of chemical reactions. Thereby, the aim of the present review is to present the current state-of-the-art regarding the different concepts on preparing membranes for PV. Particular attention is paid to the most relevant insights in the field, highlighting the followed strategies by authors for such successful approaches. Finally, by reviewing the ongoing development works, the concluding remarks and future trends are addressed.

Thermal Behavior of Green Cellulose-Filled Thermoplastic Elastomer Polymer Blends

“…Therefore, the development of a new generation of eco-friendly materials representing a less environment-harmful alternative to commonly used plastics is highly desired [5]. As a consequence, more and more natural additives are being introduced to the polymer processing processes, e.g., various wood components [6][7][8][9][10], natural anti-aging agents [11][12][13], mineral fillers [14][15][16], starch-based materials [17,18].…”

Effect of the Formation of Ultrathin Selective Layers on the Structure and Performance of Thin-Film Composite Chitosan/PAN Membranes for Pervaporation Dehydration

“…Various polymeric and inorganic membranes have been developed for the pervaporation dehydration of alcohols [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Polymeric membranes are more attractive due to the fabrication simplicity, flexibility and cost-effectiveness compared to inorganic membranes.…”

Preliminary Study of In Vitro Three-Dimensional Skin Model Using an Ovine Collagen Type I Sponge Seeded with Co-Culture Skin Cells: Submerged versus Air-Liquid Interface Conditions

“…Currently, 3D skin models can be generated by culturing keratinocytes onto a cellular matrix (fibroblast-collagen matrix), acellular matrix (de-epidermised dermis, DED) or inert plastic filler. As a replacement to chemically synthesized biopolymers, such as chitosan [14] and sodium alginate [15], had also been investigated for their potential application in 3D skin tissue engineering. Tchemtchoua and co-workers [16] have reported successful results for in vitro and in vivo application of chitosan when it is used as nanofibre scaffold (2D).…”