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Membranes
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Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the...
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Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the Recovery of Metal Ions and Critical Resources

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications for Other Areas".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 3295

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aleksandra Rybak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: critical raw materials; energy transformation; clean coal technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Aurelia Rybak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering and Industrial Automation, Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: energy security; energy mix; critical raw materials; energy transformation; clean coal technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, membrane techniques are used not only as industrial solutions for water or wastewater treatment but also as potential technologies for the separation liquid mixtures and recovery of critical metals and chemical compounds from waste in a circular economy. Resources such as metals, REEs (rare earth elements), salts, fertilizers, bio compounds, and energy, etc., can be recovered from various wastes using membrane technologies. The aim of this Special Issue, entitled "Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the Recovery of Metal Ions and Critical Resources", is to promote membrane technologies as innovative, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive technologies for liquid mixture separation, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and multi-resource recovery. Therefore, the scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, new approaches in membrane design and synthesis, novel membrane materials, mass transport and adsorption phenomena/mechanisms, mathematical modeling, modules and membrane reactors design, novel applications, and industrial exploitation of membrane techniques in water and wastewater treatment, biomedical and tissue engineering, drug delivery, recovery of all kinds of significant critical resources from industrial and medical wastes, etc. Authors are welcome to submit original research papers, communications, and review articles. We are looking forward to your contribution to this Special Issue.

Dr. Aleksandra Rybak
Dr. Aurelia Rybak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metal recovery
  • wastes
  • advanced membrane technologies
  • hybrid membranes
  • adsorptive membranes
  • mass transport
  • adsorption mechanisms
  • mathematical modeling
  • design of modules
  • membrane reactors and absorbers
  • resources recovery

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4813 KB  
Article
Hybrid PANI/UiO-66 Thin Film Nanocomposite Membranes with Enhanced Affinity for Heavy-Metal Removal from Drinking Water
by Zahid Ali, Sana Javed, Tuba Ul Haq, Muhammad Shahid, Noaman Ul Haq and Asim Laeeq Khan
Membranes 2026, 16(4), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16040147 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 489
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination of drinking water remains a persistent global challenge, exacerbated by salinity, industrial discharge, and the limitations of existing membrane technologies that are constrained by permeability–selectivity trade-offs. In this study, we develop a hybrid thin film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) [...] Read more.
Heavy metal contamination of drinking water remains a persistent global challenge, exacerbated by salinity, industrial discharge, and the limitations of existing membrane technologies that are constrained by permeability–selectivity trade-offs. In this study, we develop a hybrid thin film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membrane by incorporating a zirconium-based metal–organic framework (UiO-66) and its conductive polymer-functionalized analogue (PANI@UiO-66) into the polyamide active layer via interfacial polymerization. The incorporation of UiO-66 enhances water transport through the introduction of hydrophilic microporous domains, while the polyaniline coating modulates nanoscale transport pathways and interfacial interactions. Systematic variation in filler type and loading reveals distinct functional roles of the two fillers. Membranes incorporating bare UiO-66 exhibit increased water flux, attributed to facilitated transport through MOF-derived nanochannels, but show a moderate increase in reverse solute flux. In contrast, PANI@UiO-66 incorporation results in reduced water flux but significantly suppresses reverse solute flux and enhances chromium rejection, indicating improved control over selective transport. At an optimal loading of 0.15 wt% (TFN-PU3), the membrane demonstrates an improved balance between water permeability and solute selectivity compared to the pristine thin film composite (TFC) membrane under FO conditions. The observed performance is attributed to the combined effects of modified transport pathways and interfacial interactions introduced by the hybrid filler system. The results highlight the potential of conductive polymer–MOF hybridization as a strategy for tuning membrane performance. This work provides a practical framework for designing TFN membranes for selective heavy-metal removal in saline and complex water environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the Recovery of Metal Ions and Critical Resources)
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21 pages, 4678 KB  
Article
Performance of a Novel Worm-Assisted Membrane Bioelectrochemical System: Electricity Recovery, Sludge Reduction, and Membrane Fouling Mitigation
by Chenyu Ding, Xin Guo, Weiye Bian, Zhipeng Li, Yang Li, Hongjie Wang and Hui Li
Membranes 2026, 16(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16010002 - 22 Dec 2025
Viewed by 738
Abstract
This study developed a novel worm-assisted membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (W-MBER) that integrates aquatic worms and a single-chamber sediment microbial fuel cell into a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to address challenges in energy recovery, sludge reduction, and membrane fouling. The system achieved a stable output [...] Read more.
This study developed a novel worm-assisted membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (W-MBER) that integrates aquatic worms and a single-chamber sediment microbial fuel cell into a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to address challenges in energy recovery, sludge reduction, and membrane fouling. The system achieved a stable output of 290 mV at an external resistance of 250 Ω and a maximum power density of 0.013 W/m2 while maintaining high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (93.57%) and ammonia nitrogen (98.61%). Furthermore, the TN removal efficiency was 12.93% higher than that in the conventional MBR (C-MBR), attributed to the anodic anoxic microenvironment. The synergy of worm predation and the bioelectrochemical process reduced sludge production by 28.51% and extended the filtration cycle by 43.75%, indicating significant sludge reduction and membrane fouling mitigation. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the W-MBER system decreased protein content and protein/polysaccharide ratios in soluble microbial products (SMPs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), and the hydrophobicity of SMPs, EPSs, and sludge flocs was reduced, resulting in a lower free energy for their interaction with membrane. The foulants in the W-MBER encountered higher energy barriers and lower secondary energy minimums when approaching the membrane, indicating a lower membrane fouling propensity. These results demonstrate the promise of W-MBER for sustainable wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the Recovery of Metal Ions and Critical Resources)
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Review

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28 pages, 3722 KB  
Review
Membrane Separation for Rare Earth Elements (A Review)
by Aaron T. Ben-Elijah, Tammy M. Lutz-Rechtin, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe and Xiaoyu Wang
Membranes 2026, 16(2), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16020069 - 19 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1508
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly critical for advanced technologies like high-tech electronic devices, electric vehicles, catalysts, and supercapacitors. However, separating and purifying the REEs is challenging due to their similar physicochemical properties, such as ionic sizes and oxidation states. Traditional methods like [...] Read more.
Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly critical for advanced technologies like high-tech electronic devices, electric vehicles, catalysts, and supercapacitors. However, separating and purifying the REEs is challenging due to their similar physicochemical properties, such as ionic sizes and oxidation states. Traditional methods like solvent extraction require extensive use of organic solvents, involving multiple stages that generate large volumes of acidic liquid wastes. This article introduces membrane separation technologies as a more efficient approach that minimizes waste generation and offers higher selectivity and recovery rates in a single step. Membrane separation methods utilize free energy gradients and differences in ionic size or material affinity to selectively reject or allow ion adsorption and diffusion through the membrane pores. In this review paper, we critically evaluate recent advancements in the development and implementation of membrane-based systems and focus on exploring different membrane materials for REE separation, including polymer inclusion membranes, ion-imprinted membranes, nanofiltration membranes, electrodialysis membranes, metal-organic frameworks, and supported liquid membranes. The advantages, potential challenges, and technical issues with implementing these technologies are discussed, and possible areas for improvement and insights for further research are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Membrane-Based Modern Solutions in Separation Techniques for the Recovery of Metal Ions and Critical Resources)
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