A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes
Access to clean and reliable water has become a critical concern due to the global water crisis. High sulfate levels in drinking water raise health concerns for humans and animals and can cause serious corrosion in industrial systems. Sulfated waters represent a major challenge on the Canadian prair...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Membranes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/15/1/17 |
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| author | Jamal Al Mehrate Sadek Shaban Amr Henni |
| author_facet | Jamal Al Mehrate Sadek Shaban Amr Henni |
| author_sort | Jamal Al Mehrate |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Access to clean and reliable water has become a critical concern due to the global water crisis. High sulfate levels in drinking water raise health concerns for humans and animals and can cause serious corrosion in industrial systems. Sulfated waters represent a major challenge on the Canadian prairies, leading to many cattle deaths. While reverse osmosis (RO) membranes effectively remove sulfates, they are costly due to high-pressure requirements. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes present a more affordable alternative, outperforming traditional methods like adsorption, desalination, and ion exchange. Developing low-pressure ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes could also reduce costs. This review explores advancements in polymeric materials and membrane technology to enhance sulfate removal, focusing on methods used to reduce fouling and improve permeate flux. Techniques discussed include phase inversion (PI), thin-film composite (TFC), and thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The review also highlights recent fabrication methods for pristine and nanomaterial-enhanced membranes, acknowledging both benefits and limitations. Continued innovations in polymer-based membranes are expected to drive further performance and cost-efficiency improvements. This review found that studies in the literature dealt mainly with sulfate concentrations below 2000 mg/L, indicating a need to address higher concentrations in future studies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e4e79afc81f84e3a8feed76350125b26 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj-art-e4e79afc81f84e3a8feed76350125b262025-01-24T13:41:02ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752025-01-011511710.3390/membranes15010017A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric MembranesJamal Al Mehrate0Sadek Shaban1Amr Henni2Industrial Systems Engineering, Produced Water Treatment Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaIndustrial Systems Engineering, Produced Water Treatment Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaIndustrial Systems Engineering, Produced Water Treatment Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaAccess to clean and reliable water has become a critical concern due to the global water crisis. High sulfate levels in drinking water raise health concerns for humans and animals and can cause serious corrosion in industrial systems. Sulfated waters represent a major challenge on the Canadian prairies, leading to many cattle deaths. While reverse osmosis (RO) membranes effectively remove sulfates, they are costly due to high-pressure requirements. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes present a more affordable alternative, outperforming traditional methods like adsorption, desalination, and ion exchange. Developing low-pressure ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes could also reduce costs. This review explores advancements in polymeric materials and membrane technology to enhance sulfate removal, focusing on methods used to reduce fouling and improve permeate flux. Techniques discussed include phase inversion (PI), thin-film composite (TFC), and thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The review also highlights recent fabrication methods for pristine and nanomaterial-enhanced membranes, acknowledging both benefits and limitations. Continued innovations in polymer-based membranes are expected to drive further performance and cost-efficiency improvements. This review found that studies in the literature dealt mainly with sulfate concentrations below 2000 mg/L, indicating a need to address higher concentrations in future studies.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/15/1/17sulfate removalmembrane technologywatermodification and fabrication processpolymeric materials |
| spellingShingle | Jamal Al Mehrate Sadek Shaban Amr Henni A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes Membranes sulfate removal membrane technology water modification and fabrication process polymeric materials |
| title | A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes |
| title_full | A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes |
| title_fullStr | A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes |
| title_short | A Review of Sulfate Removal from Water Using Polymeric Membranes |
| title_sort | review of sulfate removal from water using polymeric membranes |
| topic | sulfate removal membrane technology water modification and fabrication process polymeric materials |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/15/1/17 |
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