Desalination by membrane pervaporation: A review

Yusi Li, Elisabeth R. Thomas, Mariana Hernandez Molina, Stewart Mann, W. Shane Walker, Mary Laura Lind, François Perreault

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

61 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pervaporation is a vapor pressure-driven membrane desalination process that can desalinate water with greater total dissolved solids than conventional reverse osmosis. This review analyzes the performance (flux and permeance) of membrane materials used for pervaporation desalination. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), silica/silicate, graphene oxide (GO), and zeolite were the most frequently used materials to synthesize pervaporation desalination membranes. PVA is the most common material and it yields a relatively high permeance. Surface free energies of different materials were evaluated as well, to analyze the scaling/fouling propensity of the current common pervaporation desalination membranes. PVA is found to be more likely to experience scaling by gypsum while adding organic silica/silicate or GO has the potential to mitigate this issue. When comparing PVA and polyvinylidene fluoride, the hydrophobic polymer is more likely to experience scaling/fouling than hydrophilic polymers. These results indicate that future development in membranes for high-efficiency pervaporation desalination may benefit from emphasizing materials with higher hydrophilicity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number116223
JournalDesalination
Volume547
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2023

Keywords

  • Desalination
  • Membrane development
  • Pervaporation
  • Poly(vinyl alcohol)
  • Surface free energy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • General Materials Science
  • Water Science and Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Desalination by membrane pervaporation: A review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this