Toward the Replacement of Conventional Polymers With Biopolymers in the Fabrication of Green Membranes

Membrane-based separations are an interesting technology in the purification of liquid/gas streams due to low energy consumption, flexibility in design, and low process waste production. However, the solvents and polymers utilized in the fabrication of membranes can be an environmental challenge. Therefore, the development of low-risk materials is considered urgent for achieving sustainable membrane production complied with green chemistry. Biopolymers, renewable and composable polymers obtained from plant materials, can create a viable industry as these plant materials are derived from non-food crops. The resulting membranes produced from these polymers can be degraded by microorganisms into water and carbon dioxide after a certain lifetime. This chapter aimed to summarize, classify, and discuss the state-of-the-art preparation of membranes using biopolymers. Specific attention will be paid to highlighting the strategies applied in the successful development of such membranes. The extensive applications of biopolymer-based membranes especially chitosan, cellule-based polymers, polylactic acid, starch, alginate, and collagen will be comprehensively reviewed. Finally, the challenging aspects of the future perspective on the application of biopolymer membranes will be discussed.