Electrospun Membranes for Desalination and Water/Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Polymeric nanofbers, specifcally fabricated by electrospinning, offer viable means useful for a wide range of applications such as health, energy and environmental issues. However, among the mentioned sectors, desalination and water/wastewater treatment applications have been highlighted during the past decade. This article focuses on the present status and recent development of electrospun nanofbrous membranes and their potential impact in two major areas, i.e., desalination and water/wastewater treatment. Specifc applications for desalination and high-quality water/wastewater treatment, including pressure-driven and osmotic membrane processes (MF, UF, NF, FO, etc.), thermal-driven membrane processes, coalescing fltration and adsorptive application of nanofbers, are described. Also, benefts, limitations and challenges are discussed, comprehensively. Electrospun membranes can play a critical role in improving membrane-based desalination and water/wastewater treatment systems. These fltration elements with 3D inter-connected structures will be shown to have interesting and crucial advantages over conventional polymeric membranes in terms of performance, cost and energy savings. This article also highlights the prospects of electrospun membranes and specifcally provides the state-of-the-art applications in the water industry.