Review of Thin Film Nanocomposite Membranes and Their Applications in Desalination

Abstract

All over the world, almost one billion people live in regions where water is scarce. It is also estimated that by 2035, almost 3.5 billion people will be experiencing water scarcity. Hence, there is a need for water based technologies. In separation processes, membrane based technologies have been a popular choice due to its advantages over other techniques. In recent decades, sustained research in the field of membrane technology has seen a remarkable surge in the development of membrane technology, particularly because of reduction of energy footprints and cost. One such development is the inclusion of nanoparticles in thin film composite membranes, commonly referred to as Thin Film Nanocomposite Membranes (TFN). This review covers the development, characteristics, advantages, and applications of TFN technology since its introduction in 2007 by Hoek. After a brief overview on the existing membrane technology, this review discusses TFN membranes. This discussion includes TFN membrane synthesis, characterization, and enhanced properties due to the incorporation of nanoparticles. An attempt is made to summarize the various nanoparticles used for preparing TFNs and the effects they have on membrane performance towards desalination. The improvement in membrane performance is generally observed in properties such as permeability, selectivity, chlorine stability, and antifouling. Subsequently, the application of TFNs in Reverse Osmosis (RO) alongside other desalination alternatives like Multiple Effect Flash evaporator and Multi-Stage Flash distillation is covered.

Molecular modeling of thin-film nanocomposite membranes for reverse osmosis water desalination

“…[209][210][211] Of particular note, incorporating hydrophilic-rich nanomaterials into the PA layer, such as the Zinc oxide (ZnO) family including nanorods (R-ZnO), nanoflowers (F-ZnO) and nanospheres (S-ZnO), has been shown experimentally to improve the desalination performance. 212 Among these, the integrated S-ZnO/ TFC membranes provided the highest water flux with good salt rejection. 213 Similarly, the incorporation of carbon quantum dots (CQD) with the Na functional group into the PA layer has resulted in increased hydrophilicity with which better water permeability was obtained when desalting brackish water.…”

Advanced Polymeric Nanocomposite Membranes for Water and Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

“…TFC membranes are comprised of a non-woven fabric support layer on which a porous intermediate polymer (PES or PSf) layer (~50 nm) is combined with a thin, highly crosslinked dense PA layer (<200 nm) [ 35 , 49 , 50 ]. The top epidermal layer provides selectivity and/or separation while the porous substrate layer that is permeable to water and dissolved solute particles provides mechanical strength [ 32 , 51 ]. These membranes exhibit better salt rejection, higher water flux or permeability, and higher stability (chemical, mechanical and thermal) compared to commercially available cellulose-based membranes [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ].…”

Effect of Nanofillers on Properties and Pervaporation Performance of Nanocomposite Membranes: A Review

“…The interfacial interaction between nanomaterials and the polymer is an important factor which could control the reinforcing efficiency of nanocomposite membrane. Functionalization of the nanomaterials using several chemical groups could improve their homogenization inside the polymer matrix [38].…”