Electrically conductive inorganic membranes: A review on principles, characteristics and applications

Abstract Electrically conductive membranes can achieve simultaneous membrane separation and electrochemical reactions, which have been recognized as an effective strategy for water and wastewater treatment. Conductive inorganic membranes have attracted much attention in recent decades due to their inherent merits such as high chemical inertness, excellent thermal stability, outstanding mechanical strength, and long service life. This paper presents an overview on recent developments in conductive inorganic membranes for water purification and wastewater treatment. At first, electrochemical principles involved in the electrochemical membrane filtration (EMF) process are briefly summarized. Thereafter, the characteristics and recent studies on fabrication methods of conductive inorganic membranes are presented. Finally, four major applications of conductive inorganic membranes in water treatment are provided. This paper also discusses several existing issues and highlights the research needs for the future development and application of the EMF process based on conductive inorganic membranes.