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Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable

azgreg

azgreg

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Graphene sieve could make seawater drinkable - CNN.com

(CNN)Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a graphene-based sieve that can filter salt out of seawater, a development that could provide drinking water to millions of people around the globe.

The applications could be a game-changer in countries where access to safe, clean, drinkable water is severely limited.

Graphene -- an ultra-thin sheet of carbon atoms organized in a hexagonal lattice -- was first identified at the University of Manchester in 2002 and has since been hailed as a "wonder material," with scientists racing to develop inexpensive graphene-based barriers for desalination on an industrial scale.
Now, the team at Manchester has used a compound of graphene, known as graphene oxide, to create a rigid sieve that could filter out salt using less energy.
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Very cool.
 
The article doesn't mention filtering out all the other nasty stuff in sea water. Does this filter only remove the salt, or does it trap all particles?
 
natsb said:
The article doesn't mention filtering out all the other nasty stuff in sea water. Does this filter only remove the salt, or does it trap all particles?
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I would think if the grid is small enough to catch dissolved salt, it will catch almost everything else.
 
longview said:
I would think if the grid is small enough to catch dissolved salt, it will catch almost everything else.
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That sounds logical. It makes me wonder how they would keep the filters clean. It would be nice if it all gets figured out.

As part of my prepping hobby, I have learned how to make sea water drinkable. It takes a long time, is labor intensive, and has a lot of steps. About 10% of sea water is not water, and is pretty nasty stuff. I'll keep my fingers crossed that these carbon filters work.
 
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