Uploaded May 2017 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
According to the World Economics Forum’s Global Risks Report, lack of access to safe and clean drinking water will be the biggest challenge to the human race in the coming decade. In order to increase access to fresh water, providing innovative and efficient ways to filter water is essential. The benefit of using graphene is that it is only one single atom thick while the pore sizes among atoms are extremely small which lowers the pressure required for filtration. Nanometer pores are created on the graphene using industrial scale etching process. The pores on the graphene allow good flow of water while restricting the free flow of salt across the membrane; in fact, the salt rejection rate of nanoporous graphene is nearly 100%.
We will investigate the behavior of nanoporous graphene, especially its effectiveness, and feasibility in filtration applications. Graphene’s basic properties include low molar mass, high strength, high electrical conductivity, and its unique single-layer geometry. The major technical issues and challenges to be discussed include: the adequate size of pores allowing for water molecules to flow while blocking Na+ and Cl- ions, and the minimum applied pressure to create ultrafiltration. We will understand the process of creating pores on the graphene. We will further show how to optimize the graphene so that we can have high water flow while still providing a good filter against salt.
References:
Diffusion and Osmosis. Web. 12 May 2017.
AZoM, Written By. "MIT Researchers Enable Durable Filtration Membranes by Plugging Up Graphene Defects." AZoM.com. 08 May 2015. Web. 12 May 2017.
David L. Chandler | MIT News Office. "How to Make Continuous Rolls of Graphene." MIT News. 21 May 2015. Web. 12 May 2017.
Dockrill, Peter. "Scientists Develop 'Nanopores' That Inexpensively Filter The Salt Out of Seawater." ScienceAlert. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Filtering Water with Graphene." Berkeley Engineering. 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.
"G2O Graphene Water Membranes." G2O Water Technologies Ltd. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Graphene Applications & Uses." Graphenea. Web. 12 May 2017.
Lambert, Robert J. "How Can Graphene Help Desalination? | The University of Manchester." Close Menu. Web. 12 May 2017.
Lambert, Robert J. "What Is Graphene? | The University of Manchester." Close Menu. Web. 12 May 2017.
"The Stormwater Blog ." Contech Engineered Solutions. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Ultrapure Deionized Water Services and Reverse Osmosis Systems." Puretec Industrial Water :: Ultrapure Water Solutions. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Understanding Graphene's Electrical Properties on an Atomic Level." Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Water Desalination across Nanoporous Graphene." ACS Publications. Web. 12 May 2017.
Wilkinson, Interview Conducted by Jake. "Developing Graphene Oxide Membranes for the Purification of Water and Green Fuels." AZoNano.com. 22 Sept. 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.
According to the World Economics Forum’s Global Risks Report, lack of access to safe and clean drinking water will be the biggest challenge to the human race in the coming decade. In order to increase access to fresh water, providing innovative and efficient ways to filter water is essential. The benefit of using graphene is that it is only one single atom thick while the pore sizes among atoms are extremely small which lowers the pressure required for filtration. Nanometer pores are created on the graphene using industrial scale etching process. The pores on the graphene allow good flow of water while restricting the free flow of salt across the membrane; in fact, the salt rejection rate of nanoporous graphene is nearly 100%.
We will investigate the behavior of nanoporous graphene, especially its effectiveness, and feasibility in filtration applications. Graphene’s basic properties include low molar mass, high strength, high electrical conductivity, and its unique single-layer geometry. The major technical issues and challenges to be discussed include: the adequate size of pores allowing for water molecules to flow while blocking Na+ and Cl- ions, and the minimum applied pressure to create ultrafiltration. We will understand the process of creating pores on the graphene. We will further show how to optimize the graphene so that we can have high water flow while still providing a good filter against salt.
References:
Diffusion and Osmosis. Web. 12 May 2017.
AZoM, Written By. "MIT Researchers Enable Durable Filtration Membranes by Plugging Up Graphene Defects." AZoM.com. 08 May 2015. Web. 12 May 2017.
David L. Chandler | MIT News Office. "How to Make Continuous Rolls of Graphene." MIT News. 21 May 2015. Web. 12 May 2017.
Dockrill, Peter. "Scientists Develop 'Nanopores' That Inexpensively Filter The Salt Out of Seawater." ScienceAlert. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Filtering Water with Graphene." Berkeley Engineering. 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.
"G2O Graphene Water Membranes." G2O Water Technologies Ltd. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Graphene Applications & Uses." Graphenea. Web. 12 May 2017.
Lambert, Robert J. "How Can Graphene Help Desalination? | The University of Manchester." Close Menu. Web. 12 May 2017.
Lambert, Robert J. "What Is Graphene? | The University of Manchester." Close Menu. Web. 12 May 2017.
"The Stormwater Blog ." Contech Engineered Solutions. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Ultrapure Deionized Water Services and Reverse Osmosis Systems." Puretec Industrial Water :: Ultrapure Water Solutions. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Understanding Graphene's Electrical Properties on an Atomic Level." Phys.org - News and Articles on Science and Technology. Web. 12 May 2017.
"Water Desalination across Nanoporous Graphene." ACS Publications. Web. 12 May 2017.
Wilkinson, Interview Conducted by Jake. "Developing Graphene Oxide Membranes for the Purification of Water and Green Fuels." AZoNano.com. 22 Sept. 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.
