Pervaporative seawater desalination using NaA zeolite membrane: Mechanisms of high water flux and high salt rejection

► The NaA membrane of 8 Å non-zeolitic pore diameter showed excellent salts rejection (more than 99.9%) and high water flux (1.9 kg/m2 h at 69 °C) in seawater. ► The excellent salts rejection was attributed to a joint size exclusion/charge exclusion/surface evaporation mechanism. ► The high water flux was explained by the reduced electrostatic interaction between the positively charged surface and the polar water. ► The positive charge was incurred by the adsorption of metal species, especially sodium ions. ► Evidently, the surface charge was an important distinction governing the water flux.