UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
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Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#2I hope this isn't Science being taken to a irrational extreme, as tends to happen with news and science.
This has incredible potential not only for the developing world but also for sea travel and even the fact that we are running out of drinkable water in the west.
Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is even potentially drinkable. If we were able to convert even 1%. Crazy.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#3I hope this isn't Science being taken to a irrational extreme, as tends to happen with news and science. This has incredible potential not only for the developing world but also for sea travel and even the fact that we are running out of drinkable water in the west. Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is even potentially drinkable. If we were able to convert even 1%. Crazy.
The question, as always, is how much energy it takes to do the filtering.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#4I hope this isn't Science being taken to a irrational extreme, as tends to happen with news and science. This has incredible potential not only for the developing world but also for sea travel and even the fact that we are running out of drinkable water in the west. Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is even potentially drinkable. If we were able to convert even 1%. Crazy.
Note that reverse osmosis desalination through membranes already exists as the article notes. (Not sure what the current state of the art is as I haven't worked in this area for a long time.) The question in whether this has advantages to the desalination systems used today.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#5I swear I've heard about this before... is this one of those stories that emerges about a technology that never seems to enter the market? That "super slick" coating for condiment container interiors is another that springs to mind.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#6I hope this isn't Science being taken to a irrational extreme, as tends to happen with news and science. This has incredible potential not only for the developing world but also for sea travel and even the fact that we are running out of drinkable water in the west. Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is even potentially drinkable. If we were able to convert even 1%. Crazy.
Note that reverse osmosis desalination through membranes already exists as the article notes. (Not sure what the current state of the art is as I haven't worked in this area for a long time.) The question in whether this has advantages to the desalination systems used today.
Generally speaking, the Aussies and Israelis have some of the top of the line Reverse Osmosis Purification Tech. I saw a ROPU (reverse osmosis purification unit) truck from the Army Corps of engineers when I was active duty US Army and that thing was unreal. You could ingest raw sewage into that thing and out would come drinkable, albeit not wonderful tasting, clean drinking water.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#7I swear I've heard about this before... is this one of those stories that emerges about a technology that never seems to enter the market? That "super slick" coating for condiment container interiors is another that springs to mind.
Yes, it is. My understanding is that there are still barriers to producing enough graphene at a large enough scale to make many of its uses commercially viable.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#8we have experienced droughts in Puerto Rico. this could likely lower our water prices as well.
http://www.noticel.com/noticia/177413/la-sequia-es-para-larg...
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#9I swear I've heard about this before... is this one of those stories that emerges about a technology that never seems to enter the market? That "super slick" coating for condiment container interiors is another that springs to mind.
Yes, it is. My understanding is that there are still barriers to producing enough graphene at a large enough scale to make many of its uses commercially viable. http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3677
This is mentioned at the start of the article. They are using graphene oxide which is much easier to create at scale.
Re: UK researchers create graphene-based sieve that can remove salt from seawater
#10tl;dr: A material was produced on a very small scale, which, with no regard to the energy required, might be able to remove 97% of the salinity. I.e. science-ey click-bait with a bullshit title.