Nanometer reverse osmosis membrane has been developed successfully in USA

The Henry samueli school of engineering and applied science at the university of California, us, has announced that it has successfully developed a new reverse osmosis membrane containing nano-composite materials, which can be used in desalination and waste water recycling, and is expected to reduce costs.

Conventional commercial reverse osmosis membranes are composed of dense polymer membranes. The method of reverse osmosis to reduce salt in water is to use high pressure to force the aqueous solution containing salt or pollutant to flow to the semi-permeable membrane.

The university assistant professor of civil and environmental plant Eric ˙ hooker leadership team, develop a new type of reverse osmosis membrane using a unique, cross-linked polymer matrix and treated with engineering composite nanoparticles, nano particles dispersed in polymer membrane, micro-structure formation of molecular channel for nanoscale, it not only can stop impurities make water molecules through easily, but also attract water molecules rejection ability of the vast majority of pollutants at the same time. New reverse osmosis membranes with nanocomposite particles have a spongy hydrophilic effect and can also resist organics and bacteria, preventing them from blocking pores, hooke said. In fact, the biggest problem with common reverse osmosis membranes is that they are easily blocked.

Compared with ordinary reverse osmosis membranes, new reverse osmosis membranes allow water from aqueous solutions to pass under relatively low pressure, thus saving energy. At the same time, because it repels impurities and prevents them from sticking to the surface, the blockage is much slower than normal membranes. In general, the new reverse osmosis membranes have the same water-purification effect as the common reverse osmosis membranes, but are more energy efficient and durable, and thus are expected to save a lot of money. Preliminary tests have shown that new reverse osmosis membranes produce twice as much clean water as normal membranes (or use 50 percent less energy), reducing the total price of clean water by 25 percent.

The researchers are working with nanowater to develop new nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes into a new class of low-energy, anti-clogging reverse osmosis membranes for seawater desalination and wastewater recovery, and expect the new membranes to be commercialized in the next year or two.