Abstract

The present paper gives an overview of the basic principle and mechanism of supported liquid membrane technology (SLMT).
Owing to stringent environmental regulations, there is a need for new and unconventional methods of waste purification.
The recognition of this technology as a possible solution, along with its wider acceptance in preference to the conventional
separation processes, has led to remarkable advances in this field. Salient features of SLMT such as high separation selectivity,
simultaneous extraction and stripping, and uphill transport have been briefly discussed. Materials used for different components
of the assembly, and innovations in the same, have also been reviewed. Solutions for overcoming setbacks such as relative
instability and short lifetime have been assessed. Recent advances and application-oriented research have been reviewed,
with the purpose of evaluating their feasibility and effectiveness. Novel processes contrived on SLMs have been proposed as
efficient methods for the selective extraction of chemical species in dilute streams, such as metal ions, biological compounds,
organic compounds, radioactive species, and gas mixtures. The simultaneous extraction - stripping, mediated by SLM, offers an
innovative solution to the dire problem of chemical separation.