Abstract

Due to the unique properties exhibited by carbon nanotubes, the explorations on its potential applications are ongoing. Among them, carbon nanotube seems to open a door for solving some problems encountered by current separation materials. The aim of the present contribution is to review recent patent developments of carbon nanotube (CNT) applications in separation including membrane-based separation and adsorption separation reported in the open literatures, especially in current patents. And, the corresponding advantages and disadvantages resulting from the employment of carbon nanotube for separation were also discussed and compared. Furthermore, some future research directions in this field were also put forward tentatively.

Keywords: Carbon nanotube, membrane-based separation, adsorption, desalination, waste water treatment, gas separation