A closer look on the development and commercialization of membrane contactors for mass transfer and separation processes

Membrane contactors (MC) are gaining increasing attention for mass transfer operations. They are an attractive alternative to conventional contactors by offering high contact area, modularity, and independent control of flow rates. The most studied applications of MC in recent literature are carbon capture and water desalination, while various other applications are getting increasing attention in environment, water, food, and energy sectors. An important challenge for the future of MC is their implementation at pilot scale and commercialization at industrial scale. Overall, this review aims at bringing together the key applications of membrane contactors for energy, water, environment, and food applications, by highlighting the recent progress to orient future research for rapid commercialization. An overview of the progresses of various applications in lab scale, module design, as well as pilot scale application and commercialization of MC for carbon capture and water desalination will also be covered.