Drying Polymer Membranes for Preservation: A New Review by KU Leuven

Researchers from KU Leuven have recently published a review article entitled “Drying Polymer Membranes for Preservation: a Review” in the Journal of Membrane Science.

The review explores one of the often-overlooked challenges in membrane technology: how to preserve polymer membranes after fabrication while maintaining their performance during transport, storage, and industrial implementation. The authors compare different preservation strategies, including solvent exchange, freeze-drying, and the use of pore-preserving agents (PPAs), evaluating their effectiveness, scalability, and environmental impact.

The study concludes that dry preservation offers significant advantages over wet storage, reducing the need for biocides while simplifying membrane handling and transportation. Among the available techniques, pore-preserving agents emerge as the most promising solution, combining high membrane performance with lower costs and improved sustainability. The review also identifies long-term stability and waste reduction as key priorities for future research.

By providing practical guidance for membrane preservation at industrial scale, this publication supports the development of more sustainable and resource-efficient membrane technologies, in line with the objectives of the SYMSITES project.

Read the publication: https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/20.500.12942/777751