Overview
ABSTRACT
A transition to a more sustainable production is a major societal challenge in all industrial sectors. The field of membrane manufacturing used in separation processes is no exception. This article deals with the substitution of conventional petroleum-based and non-biodegradable polymers by biobased and/or biodegradable polymers for membrane manufacturing. The different families of biobased and/or biodegradable polymers are briefly presented and their use as well as their advantages and disadvantages are discussed with regard to this application. Finally, the remaining efforts to move towards a more sustainable and safe industrial membrane manufacturing are discussed.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Patrick LOULERGUE : Senior Lecturer - Université de Rennes, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR – UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France
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Jean-Luc AUDIC : Senior Lecturer - Université de Rennes, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR – UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France
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Lydie PAUGAM : Senior Lecturer - Université de Rennes, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR – UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France
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Anthony SZYMCZYK : University Professor - Université de Rennes, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR – UMR 6226, 35000 Rennes, France
INTRODUCTION
Separation stages in industrial processes account for 10-15% of global energy consumption and 60-80% of the costs of chemical and biotechnological industrial processes . It is therefore of the utmost importance to develop more energy- and cost-efficient separation processes.
Membrane processes have emerged as promising solutions for process intensification, and have already demonstrated their ability to achieve cleaner, more energy-efficient separations than conventional technologies (e.g. distillation or evaporation). These technologies have made their mark in the water treatment sector (potabilization, wastewater treatment and seawater desalination), in the medical (kidney dialysis) and biopharmaceutical (vaccine production) sectors, and in the agri-food sector (dairy industry in particular).
The term "membrane process" covers all separation techniques based on the use of a "membrane". This can be defined as a thin layer of material (usually a polymer), semi-permeable or selectively permeable, capable of separating different compounds according to their chemical and/or physical properties under the action of a driving force.
Although considered sustainable, almost all of these techniques require the use of membranes produced from non-biodegradable petrosourced polymers. In a context of transition to the use of renewable resources and a desire for better end-of-life management of materials, numerous initiatives are emerging to offer an alternative to these polymers for membrane manufacture.
The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the different biobased or biodegradable polymers that can be used to manufacture membranes for liquid phase separations. After a brief introduction to membrane processes and manufacturing, the different polymer families that can be used will be presented with regard to their applications in membrane manufacture. Their advantages and disadvantages will...
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KEYWORDS
Membranes | biopolymers | biobased polymers | biodegradable polymers | sustainable fabrication
Sustainable membrane fabrication: contribution of biobased and/or biodegradable polymers
Filtration membranes for liquid phase separations
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