The use of carbon nanomaterials in membrane distillation membranes: a review

Abstract Membrane distillation (MD) is a thermal-based separation technique with the potential to treat wide range of water types for various applications and industries. Certain challenges remain however, which prevent it from becoming commercially widespread including moderate permeate flux, decline in performance over time due pore wetting high thermal energy requirements. Nevertheless, its attractive characteristics such as rejection (ca. 100%) nonvolatile species, ability highly saline solutions under low operating pressures (typically atmospheric) well operate at temperatures, enabling waste-heat integration, continue drive research interests globally. Of particular interest class carbon-based nanomaterials includes graphene carbon nanotubes, whose properties have been exploited an attempt overcome technical that MD faces. These dimensional materials exhibit specific surface area, strength, tuneable hydrophobicity, enhanced vapour transport, electrical conductivity others. Their use has resulted improved membrane like increased permeability reduced fouling propensity. They also enabled novel capabilities in-situ detection localised heat generation. In this review we provide brief introduction describe key fabrication methods. We then give account uses applications, focussing on polymeric systems. Future directions based findings are suggested.