Nanocomposite Membranes
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018) | Viewed by 52735
Special Issue Editors
Interests: polymeric membranes; gas separation; pervoration; free volume; transport through membranes; polymer nanocomposite membranes; characterization of polymer membranes
Interests: gas separation; reverse osmosis; forward osmosis; nanocomposite membranes; zeolite membranes; membrane characterization systems; time lag methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Membrane separation processes are emerging in various water treatment and gas separation applications. Polymeric membranes offer many advantages, as polymers are easy to handle and modify, are flexible, and their upscaling from a laboratory-level to pilot and industrial-scale installations is highly feasible. Nevertheless, obstacles hindering further growth of polymeric membrane technology, still exist. A trade-off between membrane permeability and selectivity with an upper limit known as Robeson boundary, and physical aging, or, more generally, membrane stability, are the key challenges for polymeric gas separation membranes. On the other hand, for water desalination using polymeric, i.e. aromatic polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes, low water permeance and insufficient salt rejection, as well as membrane fouling and poor tolerance to chlorine, are the main challenges.
One strategy to overcome these challenges in both gas separation and desalination applications is to incorporate a second phase, either in the form of nanoparticles or by including low molecular substances. In the case of nanocomposite gas separation membranes, deviation of permeability, solubility, and diffusivity from simple mixing rules have been reported. These observations may have been caused as a consequence of a variety of effects, ranging from higher free volumes, variations in solubility, or a different microstructure of the matrix. In the case of water desalination, incorporation of hydrophilic nanoparticles in the selective polyamide layer is a strategy used to enhance the performance and physiochemical properties of the resulting thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes.
This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in the development of novel nanoparticles, and the preparation and characterization of the resulting nanocomposite membranes for gas separation and water treatment applications.
Authors are, therefore, invited to submit their latest results. Original papers, communications and reviews are welcome.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Rätzke
Prof. Dr. Boguslaw Kruczek
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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