ABSTRACT
To mitigate* the fouling issues in (membrane distillation) MD processes, hybrid forward osmosis (FO)– MD systems have been proposed and investigated for their applications in various separations. By combining the strengths of both FO and MD processes, FO-MD offers the benefits of low fouling propensity and insensitivity to high salinity. This chapter will start with a brief introduction to the FO process, including theoretical background, membranes, and draw solutions. Then the design of FO-MD processes will be discussed by highlighting the temperature effects in process design. Next, literature studies on the applications of FO-MD for various wastewater treatments, desalination, and protein concentrations will be summarized. The chapter will end with perspectives and outlooks of necessary studies in the future for the further development of FO-MD hybrid processes.
