Desalination by pervaporation: A review

• The feasibility of water desalination by pervaporation was reviewed.
• The mechanisms of mass transport and rejection were comprehensively discussed.
• Detailed information on membrane preparation, structure and performance was summarized.
• The effects of operating conditions on PV performance were thoroughly analyzed.
• Future research needs on membrane materials for PV desalination were recommended.

Desalination via pervaporation has the potential to be an efficient way of getting fresh water from non-potable saline sources with the advantages of a high rejection of salt and the capability of coping with high-salinity solutions. This overview of desalination via pervaporation mainly focuses on membrane materials, transport mechanisms and the effect of operating parameters on PV performance. Almost all kinds of membranes ever reported in desalination are mentioned, including those based on polymers, inorganic materials and their hybrids, all of which show reasonably performance with adequate flux and excellent salt rejection. The comparison of pervaporation with existing conventional reverse osmosis and membrane distillation processes and several strategies for further improvement of pervaporation performance are discussed.