Novel Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors Used in Waste Treatment

Abstract

Novel membrane contactors offer a number of important advantages over conventional dispersed phase contactors, including absence of emulsions, no flooding at high flow rates, no unloading at low flow rates, no density difference between fluids required, and surprisingly high interfacial area. Based on the former work of our group, this paper provides a general review of recent progress in the application of hollow fiber membrane contactors in liquid/liquid and gas/liquid separation and in the environmental waste treatment including VOCs and CO2 separation, metal ion recovery, and alcohol purification.