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Published on: March 1, 2020
Progress and Perspectives on Ceramic Membranes for Solvent Recovery.
Senthilnathan Ruthusree1, Subramanian Sundarrajan2, Seeram Ramakrishna3
1Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology Lab, Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Blk E3 05-12, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117581, Singapore. ruthusree6@gmail.com.
Resource conservation is crucial. This review explores advanced membranes like Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMM), Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) for efficient solvent recovery from industrial liquid waste.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Increasing global commodity demand necessitates resource conservation, particularly for liquid waste management in pharmaceutical and petroleum industries.
- Solvent recovery from industrial liquid waste is essential for sustainability and economic viability.
- Traditional solvent recovery methods face limitations, driving the need for advanced separation technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of advanced membrane technologies for solvent recovery.
- To explore the potential of Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMM), including those incorporating nanoparticles, zeolites, silica, and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs).
- To discuss the challenges associated with fabricating and utilizing these novel membrane materials for efficient solvent separation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on polymer, nanocomposite, and ceramic membranes.
- Focus on pervaporation and organic solvent nanofiltration processes for solvent recovery.
- Analysis of fabrication techniques (in situ synthesis, secondary growth) for membrane materials like MOFs, zeolites, and ZIFs.
Main Results:
- Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMM) incorporating nanoparticles, zeolites, silica, MOFs, and ZIFs show promise for solvent recovery.
- These advanced membranes exhibit high selectivity, flux, and stability under various environmental conditions.
- Pervaporation and organic solvent nanofiltration are identified as key processes for utilizing these membranes.
Conclusions:
- Advanced membrane materials, including MOFs and ZIFs, offer effective solutions for solvent recovery from industrial waste.
- Further research is needed to address fabrication challenges and optimize performance for large-scale applications.
- The development of these membranes contributes to sustainable resource management and waste reduction in key industries.

