The reliability of innovative membrane contactors technology (i.e. Gas/Liquid Membrane Contactors, Membrane Distillation/Crystallization) is today increasing for seawater desalination processes, where traditional pressure-driven membrane separation units are routinely operated. Furthermore, conventional membrane operations can be integrated with membrane contactors in order to promote possible improvements in process efficiency, operational stability, environmental impact, water quality and cost. Seawater is the most abundant aqueous solution on the earth: the amount of dissolved salts covers about 3% of its composition, and six elements (Na, Mg, Ca, K, Cl, S) account for more than 90% of ionic species. Recent investigations on Membrane Distillation-Crystallization have shown the possibility to achieve significant overall water recovery factors, to limit the brine disposal problem, and to recover valuable salts (i.e. calcium sulphate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate) by combining this technology with conventional RO trains. In this work, the kinetics of CaSO4 ⋅ 2H2O, NaCl and MgSO4 ⋅7H2O crystallization is experimentally investigated in order to improve the design of the membrane-based crystallization unit.

• Drioli, Enrico(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR, c/o University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 17/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY)
• Gualtieri, Silvia(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY)
• Profio, Gianluca Di(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR, c/o University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 17/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY)
• Macedonio, Francesca(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR, c/o University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 17/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY)
• Obaidani, Sulaiman Al(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR, c/o University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 17/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman)
• Curcio, Efrem(Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 44/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY , Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR, c/o University of Calabria, via P. Bucci CUBO 17/A, 87030 Rende (CS) ITALY) Corresponding author