Mixed-Matrix Membranes Development for Wastewater Treatment: A Review

Various pollutants of different sizes directly and indirectly threaten the safety and health of water. To address this issue, researchers have considered adopting multifaceted approaches to treat wastewater with advanced technologies. Treatment of wastewater using a mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) is an excellent alternative owing to its ability to combine membrane technology features and provide enhanced solutions for performance, permeate quality, fouling, and durability. In this review, MMMs were divided into four categories based on 112the type of filler they contained: (i) MMMs with inorganic filler; (ii) MMMs with organic filler; (iii) MMMs with biomaterials; and (iv) MMMs with hybrid filler. The discussion is extended to the chronological development and performance comparison of these membranes. The properties of MMMs are based on their tailored and designed structure, which may be explained by the fabrication process with controlled fabrication parameters. Thereffore, this review also provides an overview of the typical methods for MMM synthesis and modiffication, including phase inversion, interfacial polymerization, stretching, and electro spinning. Models of passive membrane permeation and types of membrane fouling, such as colloidal fouling, organic fouling, inorganic fouling, and biofouling, are also widely discussed by examining the potential of MMM in addressing fouling problems. Eventually, the main concerns and challenges that should be taken into account in further research on the MMM are proposed.