Recent Progress in the Membrane Distillation and Impact of Track-Etched Membranes
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polymers Review Recent Progress in the Membrane Distillation and Impact of Track-Etched Membranes Arman B. Yeszhanov 1,2, Ilya V. Korolkov 1,2 , Saule S. Dosmagambetova 1, Maxim V. Zdorovets 1,2,3,* and Olgun Güven 4,* 1 The Institute of Nuclear Physics, Ibragimov Str. 1, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan; [email protected] (A.B.Y.); [email protected] (I.V.K.); [email protected] (S.S.D.) 2 L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Satbaev Str. 5, Nur-Sultan 010008, Kazakhstan 3 Ural Federal University, Mira Str. 19, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia 4 Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06800, Turkey * Correspondence: [email protected] (M.V.Z.); [email protected] (O.G.); Tel.: +7-7-01-979-8859 (M.V.Z.); +90-31-2297-7977 (O.G.) Abstract: Membrane distillation (MD) is a rapidly developing field of research and finds applications in desalination of water, purification from nonvolatile substances, and concentration of various solutions. This review presents data from recent studies on the MD process, MD configuration, the type of membranes and membrane hydrophobization. Particular importance has been placed on the methods of hydrophobization and the use of track-etched membranes (TeMs) in the MD process. Hydrophobic TeMs based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polycarbonate (PC) have been applied in the purification of water from salts and pesticides, as well as in the concentration of low-level liquid radioactive waste (LLLRW). Such membranes are Citation: Yeszhanov, A.B..; Korolkov, characterized by a narrow pore size distribution, precise values of the number of pores per unit area I.V..; Dosmagambetova, S.S..; and narrow thickness. These properties of membranes allow them to be used for more accurate water Zdorovets, M.V..; Güven, O. Recent purification and as model membranes used to test theoretical models (for instance LEP prediction). Progress in the Membrane Distillation and Impact of Track-Etched Keywords: track-etched membranes; membrane distillation; desalination; graft polymerization; Membranes. Polymers 2021, 13, 2520. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym hydrophobic membrane 13152520 Academic Editors: Yu-Hsuan Chiao and Ranil Wickramasinghe 1. Introduction According to the World Health Organization, 1 billion people currently do not have Received: 23 June 2021 access to clean tap water, and this number may increase to 3.5 billion by 2025 [1–6]. Among Accepted: 26 July 2021 the new technologies for purifying drinking water, membrane processes are the most Published: 30 July 2021 efficient and energy-conserving. Membrane water purification processes include micro- filtration [7], ultrafiltration [8], nanofiltration [9], direct and reverse osmosis [10] and Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral membrane distillation (MD) [11]. with regard to jurisdictional claims in MD is emerging as one of the promising membrane technologies for the purification published maps and institutional affil- of waste and drinking water from various salts of heavy metals [12] and radionuclides [13] iations. and in applications in food and textile industries [14,15] and pharmaceutics [16]. A typical MD process is composed of three stages: evaporation of the feed solution from the hot side of the membrane, transfer of vapor through the pores of the hydrophobic membrane and condensation of vapor on the permeate side of the membrane. In MD process, the Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. porous membrane must be hydrophobic, allowing the passing through of only water vapor Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. molecules but not bulk water. The membrane should also have good thermal stability to This article is an open access article withstand high temperatures and low thermal conductivity to prevent heat loss across distributed under the terms and the membrane. Compared to other membrane separation methods, MD has significant conditions of the Creative Commons advantages, such as high degree of purification from metal salts (more than 90%) and Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// other nonvolatile compounds, relatively low operating temperatures and pressures and creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ simplicity of hardware design. 4.0/). Polymers 2021, 13, 2520. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13152520 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers Polymers 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 29 Polymers 2021, 13, 2520 2 of 28 (more than 90%) and other nonvolatile compounds, relatively low operating tempera- tures and pressures and simplicity of hardware design. The term “membrane distillation” was first introduced by Bodell in a patent [17], and in 1967,The term Findley “membrane [18] published distillation” the first was scientific first introduced article on by membrane Bodell in adistillation. patent [17 ],He and testedin 1967, various Findley types [18 of] publishedmembrane the materials first scientific (aluminum article foil, on membrane cellulose fi distillation.lm, glass) in He direct tested contactvarious membrane types of membranedistillation materials (DCMD). (aluminum Silicone and foil, Teflon cellulose have film, been glass) used in as direct materials contact to membraneincrease the distillation hydrophobicity (DCMD). of Silicone the membra and Teflonne. On have the beenbasis used of these as materials results, to the increase re- quirementsthe hydrophobicity for the membranes of the membrane. to be used in On MD the were basis established. of these results, The scientific the requirements interest in forthe theMD membranes process, however, to be used quickly in MD faded were away established. in the 1980s. The scientificThe decline interest in popularity in the MD wasprocess, due to however, several reasons quickly such faded as away the lack in the of 1980s.suitable The membranes decline in popularityfor the process, was due the to highseveral cost of reasons the membrane such as themodule lack ofand suitable the poor membranes water flux forcompared the process, to reverse the high osmosis. cost of Withthe the membrane development module of andnew thetypes poor of watermembranes flux compared and improved to reverse membrane osmosis. modules, With the interestdevelopment in MD began of new to typesincrease of membranesagain. and improved membrane modules, interest in MD began to increase again. Over the past 20 years, the number of publications on the subject of “membrane Over the past 20 years, the number of publications on the subject of “membrane distillation” has been growing every year, as is illustrated in Figure 1 where the numbers distillation” has been growing every year, as is illustrated in Figure1 where the numbers of publications on four types of membrane distillation configurations are shown. of publications on four types of membrane distillation configurations are shown. 80 SGMD 70 AGMD VMD 60 DCMD 50 various types of MD 40 30 20 10 Numbers of papersNumbers on 0 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Year Figure 1. Number of publications on “membrane distillation” (searched with keywords “membrane Figure 1. Number of publications on “membrane distillation” (searched with keywords “mem- distillation”, “DCMD” (direct contact membrane distillation), “VMD” (vacuum membrane distilla- brane distillation”, “DCMD” (direct contact membrane distillation), “VMD” (vacuum membrane distillation),tion), “AGMD” “AGMD” (air gap(air gap membrane membrane distillation), distillation), “SGMD” “SGMD” (sweeping (sweeping gas gas membrane membrane distillation)) distil- lation))from from 2000 to2000 2020 to (data2020 (data taken taken from from Science Science Direct Direct database). database). DueDue to toincreasing increasing number number of ofpublications publications on onthis this subject, subject, there there has has been been a need a need for for systematizationsystematization and and analysis analysis of of published published works. works. There There are aa numbernumber of of published published review re- viewarticles articles on thison this topic topic in the in literature.the literature. Alkhudhiri Alkhudhiri et al. et [11 al.] considered[11] considered mechanisms mechanisms of heat and mass transfer, types of MD configurations and membrane characteristics. The review of heat and mass transfer, types of MD configurations and membrane characteristics. The showed the necessity to collect data from large-scale MD studies, develop membranes with review showed the necessity to collect data from large-scale MD studies, develop mem- high hydrophobic character and further investigate the effect of operating parameters. branes with high hydrophobic character and further investigate the effect of operating Nanofiber-based membranes prepared by electrospinning for use in MD were de- parameters. scribed in another review [19]. Membranes made from electrospun fibers showed high Nanofiber-based membranes prepared by electrospinning for use in MD were de- values for salt rejection and water flux. However, authors mentioned that finding the scribed in another review [19]. Membranes made from electrospun fibers showed high appropriate membrane structure, design and fabrication method are important to improve values for salt rejection and water flux. However, authors mentioned that finding the the performance. appropriate membrane structure, design and fabrication method are important to im- Recent advances in electrospun nonfibrous membranes for MD were reviewed by prove the performance. Pan et al. [20], where both the original nanofiber membranes and its modification (for instance, with inorganic nanoparticles and