A Review on Mass Transport Phenomena and Factors Affecting the Performance of Thin Film Composite Membrane during Engineered Osmosis Process

Engineered osmosis (eo) is an osmotically driven membrane process that takes advantage of the osmotic pressure gradient to drive water across the semi-permeable membrane from the feed solution (low osmotic pressure) to the draw solution (high osmotic pressure). in the last decade, eo membranes have found various applications in wastewater treatment, seawater/brackish desalination, food processing and power generation. in this paper, the mass transport phenomena of eo processes, driven by concentration gradients, are reviewed. it is followed by reviewing the key factors that affect the separation performance of membrane particularly thin film composite (tfc) membrane during eo operation. some of the factors reviewed include membrane intrinsic characteristics, filtration orientation, composition of the feed and draw solutions. this mini review is of importance for researchers who would like to start the research work in the field of osmotic membrane developments.