Chapter 28 - Nanomembranes for ultrapurification and water treatment

Abstract

Rapid industrial and technological advances have led to an irreversible depletion of natural resources and ecological imbalance owing to the uncontrolled anthropogenic intrusion and pollution. Nearly all nations of the world have raised serious concerns about unavailability of clean and potable water resources resulted due to overwhelming population and greater stress on surface water reserves. These challenges require inventive solutions to establish effective wastewater treatment and water recycling for the production of clean water. For decades, typical water treatment methods involve the conventional use of physical filtration, chemical oxidation and biological treatment technologies. Although efficient, existing technologies have made the process inherently complex and nonsustainable. This has motivated many interdisciplinary research groups to work in the area of water purification and treatment technologies. Over the years, the standard technologies have been replaced by nanotechnology-enabled filtration devices. The most promising includes coating of polymeric membrane on catalytic nanoparticles that leads to a nanocomposite membrane integrated with inorganic and organic materials. In light of the above, the present chapter elucidates contemporary literature related to the nanotechnology-enabled water treatment membrane technology, the potential implications and limitations, as well as comments on where we are heading toward in this field.