Using Graphene To Turn Seawater Into Drinking Water
Graphene continues to amaze me as researchers around the world further explore the possible applications for the material. We continue to see creative and innovative ways that this material can be used to improve our standard of living. And now researchers in the UK have been able to use graphene to turn seawater into drinking water.
The researchers in the UK used a graphene-based sieve and they have been able to successfully remove salt from seawater.
This is huge! This could prove to be an amazing and cost effective tool that could help to enable millions of people around the world to find drinkable water. The graphene oxide sieve is now being tested against already existing desalination membranes.
The results from the study have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology by researchers from the University of Manchester.
In their study they demonstrate how they have already gone ahead and solved some of the challenges in carrying-out the process, by using a chemical derivative: graphene oxide.
The researchers say that the graphene oxide can be produced very easily by simple oxidation in a lab setting. Whereas traditionally it has been quite difficult to produce large quantities of the graphene material, although researchers are working to improve that and they have been in recent years.
The graphene oxide is much more cost effective say researchers, and these sorts of membranes already have successfully been able to filter out small nanoparticles, large salts, and organic molecules. You can also now add salt to the list.
Their ultimate goal is to eventually create a graphene-based filtration device that will be able to produce potable water from either seawater or wastewater; using minimal energy.
Pics:
Pixabay
Popkey
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39482342
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Graphene is indeed a very very interesting material! Great post, thanks for the research and sharing.
This is very interesting research! Thank you for your post!
Very informative post. Resharing @phibetiota.
Thank you for the contribution.
~The Management
Learned something new today! Thanks for sharing!
Katadyn Survivor, at least 6 years ago…
Technology is reverse osmosis. This is the smallest model:
https://www.katadyn.com/en/ch/149-8013418-katadyn-survivor-06
great post!
lol i also want one of these for emergencies too
and
perhaps the graphene filter will bring about a more cost effective option? :)
Let's hope so
That's simply amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Carbon is pretty much a wonder element and the allotrope graphene is somewhat amazing.
I've wondered, how much evidence would a 'crashed' civilization whose technology was based on carbon, leave behind that would be detectable in fifty thousand years?
Really good post.
There are some really cool water treatment solutions about. Graphene never ceases to amaze. It would be interesting to see the lifespan of the mesh and the costs. Does an electrical charge get involved?
Reverse osmosis is usually needed to get to 'potable' grade and is expensive in terms of energy. Where these things get sexy is when they interact with other technologies such as bio-organic systems which fix and absorb the undesirable inclusions and then self-eliminate. Has been a great servant of mining, chemical production (esp paints and dyes) - they can even treat cyanide!
There are some really exciting new discoveries that hopefully will help ALL on this planet have better lives... thanks for sharing!
Interesting how long it's taking for these things to get into the public domain.