Spray-coating technique in the fabrication and modification of membranes: a review

Spray coating has emerged as a promising technique for membrane fabrication and modification. This technique offers precise control over membrane morphology, scalability, and adaptability to various materials. However, challenges remain in achieving uniform layer deposition, avoiding surface defects, and ensuring reproducibility. This review explores the fundamentals of spray-coating techniques and their application in membrane fabrication across various material categories, including polymers and nanomaterials. These materials enhance membrane properties such as antifouling resistance, permeability, and mechanical stability. Furthermore, integrations of spray-coated membranes in water and wastewater treatment, gas separation, desalination, and pervaporation demonstrate their versatility and effectiveness. Addressing these issues requires careful optimization of spraying parameters and equipment design. Recent advancements in spray-coated membranes show promise in addressing sustainability challenges by minimizing energy consumption and material waste. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the latest developments in spray-coating techniques for membrane fabrication. It also discusses their advantages over traditional fabrication methods and outlines future research directions for optimizing membrane performance in various industrial applications. Overall, spray coating stands out as a versatile and efficient path for advancing next-generation membrane technologies.