Research progress and challenges of nano-functionalized ceramic membranes in drinking water treatment

SUN Zhiqiang; TAN Yirang; LI Haowen; TIAN Yu; MA Jun; SUI Xiao

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202509002

Volume 43 Issue 9

Sep. 2025

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SUN Zhiqiang, TAN Yirang, LI Haowen, TIAN Yu, MA Jun, SUI Xiao. Research progress and challenges of nano-functionalized ceramic membranes in drinking water treatment[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(9): 9-19. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202509002

Citation:

SUN Zhiqiang, TAN Yirang, LI Haowen, TIAN Yu, MA Jun, SUI Xiao. Research progress and challenges of nano-functionalized ceramic membranes in drinking water treatment[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2025, 43(9): 9-19. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202509002

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Research progress and challenges of nano-functionalized ceramic membranes in drinking water treatment

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202509002

SUN Zhiqiang¹,
TAN Yirang²,
LI Haowen²,
TIAN Yu¹,
MA Jun¹,
SUI Xiao^{1,2
,
,}

1. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China;
2. School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China

Received Date: 2025-09-09
Available Online: 2025-11-05
Publish Date: 2025-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

Drinking water safety is fundamental to safeguarding human health and social development. With continuously improving national water quality standards， ceramic membranes—characterized by high separation efficiency and long service life—have demonstrated significant potential in the field of water treatment. Nano-functionalized ceramic membrane technology represents a cutting-edge approach to enhancing the quality and separation performance efficiency of drinking water. This paper provides a systematic review of recent advances in nanomaterial-modified ceramic membranes for drinking water treatment. First， an overview of the materials， structure， and separation mechanisms of ceramic membranes is provided. Subsequently， various modification strategies using nanomaterials are elaborated， with an analysis of their performance in drinking water treatment processes， including significantly improved membrane flux， enhanced contaminant removal， and fouling resistance. Finally， the challenges hindering the large-scale application of this technology are discussed， such as poor nanomaterial dispersion， potential nanomaterial leaching， membrane fouling issues， and then perspectives on future development pathways are proposed. This paper not only systematically reviews various modification systems and their performance but also focuses specifically on the technical bottlenecks encountered during the transition from laboratory research to large-scale implementation. It can offer insights for promoting in-depth research and future industrial applications of nano-functionalized ceramic membrane technology.
- ceramic membrane,
- nanomaterial,
- membrane modification,
- functionalization,
- drinking water treatment

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References(64)

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