Although the membrane technology has advantages such as the high capability of separation, flexibility of operation, efficiency, etc. compared to conventional methods, fouling is the main limitation for the further use of membrane technology, mainly because of the inher
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Although the membrane technology has advantages such as the high capability of separation, flexibility of operation, efficiency, etc. compared to conventional methods, fouling is the main limitation for the further use of membrane technology, mainly because of the inherent hydrophobicity of membrane materials. To overcome this drawback, nanocomposite membranes are used. Among membrane processes, nanofiltration has applications in groundwater, surface water and wastewater treatment as well as pre-desalination operations. Since NF process is performed at a lower pressure, it is a much more energy efficient process. In this review, modification of polysulfone/polyatersulfone membranes is investigated with regards to anti-fouling performance. The mechanism of fouling reduction clearly shows that surface hydrophilicity improves at the polysulfone/polyatersulfone membranes, based on different membrane modification methods. In addition, the fabrication of nanocomposite membranes resulting from the participation of nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix mixed membrane, their properties and applications using organic fillers (such as graphene and carbon nanotubes) have been thoroughly studied.Furthermore, the characterization techniques applied for modified membranes have been discussed.This comprehensive study concludes with some recommendations for future research and development of NF membranes.
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