Researchers at Babol University of Technology in northern Iran have synthesized a nano membrane that can facilitate seawater desalination. Zahid Dabbaghian, the project manager, described the reverse osmosis method as the most common process in desalination in recent years.
“High energy consumption due to the need for exerting high pressure as well as membrane fouling (degradation of membrane) have put serious limitation on using reverse osmosis technology in water purification,” Mehr News Agency reported Dabbaghian as saying. Reverse osmosis is a technology used to remove a large majority of contaminants from water by pushing the water under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane.
Dabbaghian noted that the aim of the project was to synthesize an ideal membrane to optimize direct reverse osmosis for desalinating seawater.
“Using synthesized membrane in this project has led to an increase in the efficiency of seawater desalination and a decline in costs,” he added.
“Carbon nanofibers comprising single-molecule fibers with a diameter of about a few tens of nanometers are categorized as premium engineering materials due to their exceptional electrical and mechanical properties.”
The project manager added that these materials have also high surface area, porosity and chemical resistance.
“In this project, nanostructured membranes comprising cellulose and functionalized carbon nanofibers have been synthesized. The presence of these carbon nanofibers increases the membrane’s hydrophilic property and boosts direct osmosis process,” he said.
