Ceramic membrane filtration coupled with ozonation for water purification: Principles, applications and perspectives

Ceramic membrane filtration coupled with ozonation has gained considerable development for water purification. The improvement of contaminant removal and membrane fouling control via a combination of the individual technologies have been acknowledged, with the synergistic effects between filtration and (catalytic) ozonation receiving more in-depth investigations. However, a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in the coupling system still needs to be made available. This paper summarizes the recent development in working principles and practical applications of ceramic membranes coupled with ozonation. Classification of the system setups and materials is first proposed, and the mechanism of the physic-chemical processes involving separation and oxidation has been discussed. The performance of contaminant removal and fouling control is finally compared between conventional membrane filtration and that with catalytic ozonation, which may provide a better understanding toward further optimization and deployment of the coupling system in water purification.