Bio-based nonporous membranes: Evolution and benchmarking review

To meet the global object of green production, there is ever-increasing attention on the development of bio-based polymeric membranes (BPMs). This review paper aims to investigate the state-of-the-art application of bio-based materials in the fabrication of nonporous membranes (dense) from evolution to benchmarking. The bio-based polymers are divided into major and minor groups as membrane constituents. The membrane performance of major groups is evaluated for pervaporation, gas separation, and fuel-cell application, then the key performance indices (KPIs) of BPM are investigated for implementation of benchmarking to demonstrate BPM potency, also to identify their deficiency. Hereby, the goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of dense BPMs performance and to elucidate the achievement and situation of BPMs, as well as determine the essential required modification for future trends. Consequently, the results show great potential for the application of biopolymeric materials in the fabrication of dense membranes, and considerable progress has been made in the utilization of BPMs in recent years. In addition, there is the same trend in the utilization of minor biopolymers as the cross-linker, binder, and suchlike. The current trends of studies on BPMs promise the promotion of these membranes in the coming future.