Membrane processes for water recovery and decontamination

• Membrane processes for water desalination/decontamination have been reviewed.
• The relevant processes have been classified according to the driving force determining the separation between solvent and solute.
• The methods have been compared and new research opportunities in matter of membrane separation have been offered.

A short review concerning membrane technologies for water purification is proposed. Advantages and limitations typical of specific techniques are discussed and compared according to the most recent issues in literature. The relevant methods are grouped according to the driving force determining the separation between solvent and solutes and several applications both in industrial and laboratory scale are cited. In most cases, the yield of the process is conditioned by structure, composition and geometry of the membranes, whose optimization requires reciprocal connection among different disciplines. This paper aims at stimulating new research opportunities addressing membrane separation processes.