ABSTRACT
Population growth, urban development and climate change threaten the world’s water reserves, strengthening the need for sustainable treatment methods. The versatility of membrane technology makes it a vital field for many aspects of desalination and water treatment today, including pretreatment in desalination, removal of bacteria and viruses, and treatment of industrial wastes. The need for pure water combined with development of new materials and processes will only further the impact of membrane separation processes. The historical evolution of membrane technology from early development to the present is discussed. This chapter also probes the fundamentals of membrane separation technology and provides an overview of key membrane processes used in water purification.
