4. Towards more sustainable and safe membrane manufacturing

4.1 Solvent replacement

The manufacture of membranes by phase inversion requires the preparation of a collodion obtained by dissolving a polymer and any additives in a solvent. It should be noted that this solvent actually represents the majority of the collodion's constituents (over 70-75% by mass). Table 4 lists the main solvents used in the manufacture of phase inversion membranes. With the exception of acetone, all these solvents are classified as carcinogenic – mutagenic – reprotoxic (CMR). All are derived from fossil fuels and are non-biodegradable.