Prospects of nanocomposite membranes for water treatment by electrodriven membrane processes

Abstract Electrodialysis, electrodialysis reversal, diffusion dialysis, and other novel membrane processes, based on electrical driving forces, are electrochemical separation technologies, which are widely used to separate inorganic salts from water or to generate an electric current in water treatment processes. Because of their potential in diverse applications, the development of electrodriven membranes has attracted increasing research attention over the past decade, in terms of materials, preparation, and application. Electrodriven membranes are composed of polymeric materials bearing covalently bound ionic fixed charges. Only the ions with opposite charges to the surface charge of the membrane are transported through the membrane, while ions with the same charge are electrostatically repelled and retained in the feed compartment. In this chapter, nanocomposite membranes utilized in electrodriven membrane process for water treatment are described in terms of materials, preparation, and applications.