Recent progress in hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for phenol recovery

Phenol is extensively utilized in various industries involving paints, rubber, textiles, explosives, plastics, etc. Compared to the conventional distillation or extraction technologies, pervaporation (PV) membrane process can be operated at a low temperature and has a low energy consumption as well as a high separation efficiency for phenol recovery. Thus, to meet the high demand for phenol recovery, the application of PV has been encouraged, and reached a new level. The PV process is governed by the properties of the membrane materials that significantly influence the energy costs associated with the separation unit, and the membrane types include polymer membranes, inorganic membranes, and mixed matrix membranes. Although recent literatures show that PV membranes have been continuously updated, no review has reported the latest development about it. In this work, the material types, separation properties and preparation methods of hydrophobic PV membranes for phenol recovery are summarized. Furthermore, the key preparation methods and application challenges associated with membranes are summarized, along with an overview of the opportunities and challenges posed by hydrophobic PV membranes for phenol recovery. Phenol is frequently employed in the synthesis of high-valuable chemical products and intermediates. This review highlights recent advancements in hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for phenol recovery, focusing on polymer, inorganic, and mixed matrix membranes, along with fabrication techniques and performance enhancement methods. • The material types and preparation methods of hydrophobic pervaporation membranes were investigated. • The structural design and separation properties of hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for phenol recovery were summarized. • The preparation problems and application challenges of pervaporation membranes were summarized.