Membrane Technology for Energy Saving: Principles, Techniques, Applications, Challenges, and Prospects

Abstract

Membrane technology emerges as a transformative solution for global challenges, excelling in water treatment, gas purification, and waste recycling. This comprehensive review navigates the principles, advantages, challenges, and prospects of membrane technology, emphasizing its pivotal role in addressing contemporary environmental and sustainability issues. The goal is to contribute to environmental objectives by exploring the principles, mechanisms, advantages, and limitations of membrane technology. Noteworthy features include energy efficiency, selectivity, and minimal environmental footprint, distinguishing it from conventional methods. Advances in nanomembranes, organic porous membranes, and metal‐organic frameworks‐based membranes highlight their potential for energy‐efficient contaminant removal. The review underscores the integration of renewable energy sources for eco‐friendly desalination and separation processes. The future trajectory unfolds with next‐gen nanocomposite membranes, sustainable polymers, and optimized energy consumption through electrochemical and hybrid approaches. In healthcare, membrane technology reshapes gas exchange, hemodialysis, biosensors, wound healing, and drug delivery, while in chemical industries, it streamlines organic solvent separation. Challenges like fouling, material stability, and energy efficiency are acknowledged, with the integration of artificial intelligence recognized as a progressing frontier. Despite limitations, membrane technology holds promise for sustainability and revolutionizing diverse industries.

Bacterial Nanocellulose Produced by Cost-Effective and Sustainable Methods and Its Applications: A Review

“…The utilization of membrane technology has been recognized as an efficient and energy-saving approach for separation processes [196]. However, its widespread adoption on a large scale is impeded by various challenges, encompassing complex operational procedures, high operational costs, concerns regarding toxicity, limited recyclability, and the generation of hazardous by-products.…”

Pervaporation Membranes Based on Polyelectrolyte Complex of Sodium Alginate/Polyethyleneimine Modified with Graphene Oxide for Ethanol Dehydration

“…Membrane technologies are related to sustainable processes due to their advantages (environmental friendliness, economic advantage, low energy consumption, etc.) [2,3]. The most promising and actively developing membrane method for separating liquid mixtures of low molecular weight substances is pervaporation [4].…”

Application of Cellulose Acetate Propionate Biopolymer Membrane in The Treatment of Textile Wastewater Containing Remazol Dye

“…Membrane technology is the treatment of liquid waste, one of which is the treatment of textile wastewater (Faizal et al, 2022;Jiang & To, 2022;Korkut et al, 2024;Maulana & Marsono, 2021;Mu'aliyah et al, 2022). Compared to other separation processes, this treatment process has several advantages, including the use of membranes that do not change the structure or arrangement of the separated substances, are biopolymers, can be operated at room temperature, relatively low energy consumption, non-toxic, no chemical additives in the process, and is a clean technology (Aburideh et al, 2021;Bousbih et al, 2021;Harianingsih & Maharani, 2018;Masri et al, 2020;Sianipar et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2023), lower initial investment cost than conventional systems, can remove harmful substances from textile wastewater (Chen et al, 2022;Hartini et al, 2018;Jin et al, 2018;Khan et al, 2020;Maulana & Marsono, 2021;Osman et al, 2024;Wen et al, 2021). One of the techniques commonly used in this process is phase inversion.…”