Ellora Priscille Ndia Ntone, Sunarti Abdul Rahman, Rozaimi Abu Samah, Qusay Fadhil Alsalhy, Zuchra Helwani, Rinaldi Idroes
Membrane-based technologies have emerged as vital tools for water purification and resource recovery, offering sustainable solutions to pressing global challenges. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of membrane technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO), forward osmosis (FO), electrodialysis (ED), and hybrid systems for recovering fresh water, valuable nutrients (e.g., Ca, Mg, Na, and K), and energy from diverse sources, including seawater and wastewater. The chapter highlights the specific energy consumption and recovery efficiencies of these processes, underscoring their opportunities in potable water production, medical applications, and their environmental and economic benefits. Challenges, including membrane fouling, scaling, high energy demands, and operational costs, are discussed in detail, with emphasis on their impact on performance and long-term sustainability. Finally, the chapter explores innovation prospects, focusing on material advancements, integration of renewable energy sources, and the adoption of smart technologies to improve efficiency, minimize environmental impacts, and broaden the scope of membrane-based applications. © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..
Faculty of Chemical & Process Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Lebuhraya Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, Pahang, Kuantan, Malaysia; Membrane Technology Research Unit, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Technology-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq; Department of Chemical Engineering, Riau University, Pekanbaru, Indonesia; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
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