Micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) – state of the art

Abstract

Micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF), a surfactant-based separation technique, has meanwhile a long history in research. The MEUF performance depends on a variety of parameters and this review will give an overview of the state of the art of MEUF. This includes the selection of materials and operating conditions (surfactant, membrane, filtration mode, etc.) as well as the application of MEUF to the removal of different solutes from water, e.g. ions, organics, and dyes. The literature is reviewed with respect to single-component or multi-component systems and also different trends, such as mixed micellar solutions and catalyst recycling by MEUF, are considered. This review will show that MEUF is a versatile technique with manifold applications.