| New Desalination Membrane Developed by IBM |
| 24 March 2009 |
|
Scientists at IBM Research, together with collaborators from the Japanese firm Central Glass, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia and the University of Texas, Austin, have created a new membrane that filters out salts as well as potentially harmful toxins in water such as arsenic, while using less energy than other forms of water purification. This new technology, which stands to alleviate the growing shortage of drinkable water worldwide, was presented on March 16 at the 5th World Water Forum held in Istanbul. Membrane filtration is currently one of the most energy efficient techniques for removing salt and improving water quality. But the conventional membranes used today are easily damaged by chlorine, which is commonly added to water to prevent bacterial growth. This innovative membrane material would instead combine resistance to chlorine damage and high performance separation behaviour in mildly basic conditions, making it suitable for arsenic removal in addition to water desalination. Thanks to its unique composition, the membrane undergoes a dramatic change when encountering basic conditions. In short, it transforms from a low water transporting filter to a high water transporting state in a basic environment - what researchers call a “water superhighway.†Fortuitously, high pH also causes arsenic to become ionic resulting in a relatively easy separation by desalination membranes. Because of these conditions and reactions, when contaminated water is forced through the membrane, arsenic is filtered out. One out of five people in the world nowadays lacks access to clean water. This technology could therefore be a great help to meet the increasing global demand of fresh, clean water also in countries affected by arsenic-contaminated waters. For further information please check here ." |
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