Abstract
Membrane filtration processes are best known for their application in the water, oil, and gas sectors, but also in food production they play an eminent role. Filtration processes are known to suffer from a decrease in efficiency in time due to e.g., particle deposition, also known as fouling and pore blocking. Although these processes are not very well understood at a small scale, smart engineering approaches have been used to keep membrane processes running. Microfluidic devices have been increasingly applied to study membrane filtration processes and accommodate observation and understanding of the filtration process at different scales, from nanometer to millimeter and more. In combination with microscopes and high-speed imaging, microfluidic devices allow real time observation of filtration processes. In this review we will give a general introduction on microfluidic devices used to study membrane filtration behavior, followed by a discussion of how microfluidic devices can be used to understand current challenges. We will then discuss how increased knowledge on fundamental aspects of membrane filtration can help optimize existing processes, before wrapping up with an outlook on future prospects on the use of microfluidics within the field of membrane separation.
Highlights
Membrane filtration is used for a wide variety of applications due to the availability of an abundance of membranes targeted at different separations [1]
A disadvantage of this approach is the current resolution limitation on the techniques for microfluidic device fabrication. This results in the availability of devices with channels that are much wider than the pores of “real” microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes; these devices still allow for very insightful and interesting experiments and results that can certainly contribute to the advancement of the membrane separation field
The use of microfluidic devices to study membrane filtration processes in the last years has highlighted their potential as important tools for the optimization of membrane processes
Summary
Membrane filtration is used for a wide variety of applications due to the availability of an abundance of membranes targeted at different separations [1]. A disadvantage of this approach is the current resolution limitation on the techniques for microfluidic device fabrication This results in the availability of devices with channels that are much wider than the pores of “real” microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes; these devices still allow for very insightful and interesting experiments and results that can certainly contribute to the advancement of the membrane separation field. In the last years, the use of microfluidic devices to study membrane filtration phenomena has flourished, the focus has been mostly on microchip fabrication techniques as reviewed in [46,47], and not much effort has gone into bringing the findings that were obtained toward improvement of membrane processes. We wrap up with a section in which we present expected future developments, highlighting the role that the additional information obtained through microfluidic investigations can play in terms of development of innovative membrane fractionation processes that allow better use of all components present in raw materials ( contributing to a more sustainable circular economy)
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