Dessalinização por membranas: Tecnologias consagradas e emergentes

Abstract

Obtaining potable water through the desalination of saline or brackish water is becoming more and more necessary in the face of the water shortage that many countries are experiencing. This paper presents a review of national and international literature on membrane desalination technologies. Conventional technologies were researched and some of them are widely applied in large scale (Direct Osmosis, Indirect Osmosis, Electrodialysis and Membrane Distillation) as well as emerging membrane technologies (Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, Aquaporin and Nanocomposites). Thus, the advances of these technologies, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, their use in Brazil and worldwide, as well as the pillars of the desalination process were presented. It is concluded that despite the disadvantages of desalination, this process is a good alternative for the global water shortage and that the advances of conventional technologies, such as Reverse Osmosis, have contributed to process efficiency and cost reduction. As for emerging technologies, they are promising for the near future.