• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.291-312
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• 2017

Seawater desalination is currently considered to be one of the primary technologies to resolve the global water scarcity problem. A basic understanding of membrane filtration phenomena is significant not only for further technological development but also for integrated design, optimal control, and long-term maintenance. In this vein, the present work reviews the major transport and filtration models, specifically related to reverse osmosis phenomena, provides theoretical insights based on statistical mechanics, and discusses model-based physical meanings as related to their practical implications.