Advancements in nanofiltration fouling phenomenon: From water treatment to salt lakes environments

Nanofiltration (NF) technology plays a critical role in water treatment. However, membrane fouling has been identified as an inevitable challenge in this process. This article provides a comprehensive review based on three aspects, including fouling mechanisms, prediction methods, and treatment strategies. Firstly, the fundamental mechanisms and causes of membrane fouling are analyzed. Secondly, the applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in predicting membrane fouling are extensively discussed. Lastly, strategies for membrane pretreatment, cleaning, preparation, and application of antifouling membranes are summarized. Particularly, extending the analysis of membrane fouling from water treatment to the characteristics of membrane fouling in salt lakes brine provides important guidance for the further development of antifouling nanofiltration membranes tailored to the specific requirements of lithium extraction from salt lakes.