Recent progress in hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for phenol recovery

Phenol is extensively utilized in various industries involving paints, rubber, textiles, explosives, plastics, etc. Compared to the conventional distillation or extraction technologies, pervaporation (PV) membrane process can be operated at a low temperature and has a low energy consumption as well as a high separation efficiency for phenol recovery. Thus, to meet the high demand for phenol recovery, the application of PV has been encouraged, and reached a new height. The PV process is governed by the properties of the membrane materials that significantly influence the energy costs associated with the separation unit, and the membrane types include polymer membranes, inorganic membranes, and mixed matrix membranes. Although recent literatures show that PV membranes are been continuously updated, no review reported the latest development about it. In this work, the material types, separation properties and preparation methods of hydrophobic PV membranes for phenol recovery are summarized. Furthermore, the key preparation methods and application challenges associated with membranes are summarized, along with an overview of the opportunities and challenges posed by hydrophobic PV membranes for phenol recovery.