Abstract
In the last decade, the research interest in forward osmosis (FO) process has dramatically increased because of its promising applications in many fields. However, the membranes fouling and the internal concentration polarization have been considered as the key issues which can significantly reduce the water flux across the FO membrane. Cellulose and its derivatives, an environmentally friendly and biodegradable regenerated material, can easily be fabricated as semipermeable membranes for FO processes. So preparation of customized membranes is essential for the development of FO technologies. The cellulose-based FO membrane materials include the cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose triacetate (CTA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and cellulose ethers. This paper summarized the recent research progresses of the cellulose-based FO membranes and outlined the key requirements of FO membranes. We hope this critical review paper could shed light on the future development and perhaps open a door to extend the applications to other more challenging areas.