MF/UF of Challenging Industrial Streams: Materials, Fouling Mechanisms, and Mitigation
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications for Water Treatment".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: membrane distillation; microfiltration; ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; reverse osmosis; polymeric membranes; surface modification; water and wastewater treatment; separation applying membranes; membrane bioreactors; membrane crystallization; fouling and scaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Microfiltration (MF) and Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are pivotal in advanced industrial wastewater treatment and resource recovery. However, their widespread application is consistently hampered by the complex nature of industrial streams, which leads to severe membrane fouling, rapid performance decline, and increased operational costs. This Special Issue, “MF/UF of Challenging Industrial Streams: Materials, Fouling Mechanisms, and Mitigation,” aims to consolidate cutting-edge research and innovative engineering solutions that address these critical challenges.
We invite the submission of high-quality original research and review articles that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Advanced Membrane Materials: Development and evaluation of novel, fouling-resistant membranes (e.g., zwitterionic, nanocomposite, biomimetic) tailored for harsh industrial environments.
- Fouling Mechanism Investigation: In-depth studies on the fouling behaviors, interfacial interactions, and governing mechanisms when treating specific complex streams, such as those containing oils, greases, proteins, polysaccharides, or solvents.
- Innovative Mitigation Strategies: Research on effective fouling control techniques, including high-efficiency pre-treatment, optimized hydrodynamic conditions, advanced cleaning protocols (chemical, physical, or biological), and real-time monitoring and control systems.
- Case Studies and Scale-up Assessments: Comprehensive reports on pilot-scale and full-scale implementations, focusing on long-term performance, economic feasibility, and lessons learned from field applications.
This Special Issue seeks to provide a premier international platform for researchers and engineers to share insights that bridge the gap between fundamental science and industrial practice, ultimately promoting the development of more robust, efficient, and sustainable MF/UF processes.
Prof. Dr. Marek Gryta
Dr. Wirginia Tomczak
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
- microfiltration
- ultrafiltration
- membrane fouling
- industrial wastewater
- fouling mitigation
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