Graphene - distilling and more...

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Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
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Sounds like it might prove to be incredibly useful in many industries, and if it can be used to produce potable water, then it could be one of the most useful materials ever made :D

Thanks for the link; interesting :approve:

cheers,
Toddy
 

NetFrog

Forager
Jul 17, 2011
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I think maybe it has uses for industrial purposes, e.g water purification or yes making more potent vodka. However developing a kit to bring with you in the field may prove tricky as currently you need some rather expensive equipment to create the molecule thin layers needed to make it all work.

I'm no scientist but I have read a few articles about it and it is not looking likely that it can be used in anything outside of laboratory conditions for the moment and as for a out of the pocket solution, I fear not. :-(
 

Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
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Maybe, maybe.......but look how fast things move nowadays once production is up and running :)

No doubt we'll see.

cheers,
Toddy
 

Rod Paradise

Full Member
Oct 16, 2008
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Give it ten years and you'd be able to buy milbank bags made from it, I bet you a pound to a pinch of dog do.

The biggest scientific step is proving something possible, things move in leaps and bounds from there. So I think you might just be right, hopefully the patent holders won't make them out of reach to those who will no doubt still need them.
 

palmnut

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Aug 1, 2006
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I've been separating alcohol from water for years!

Mostly on a Friday or Saturday night ;-)

Sorry ... couldn't resist ;-)

Peter
 

TeeDee

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Nov 6, 2008
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16747208

Reading this article on the miracle material graphene and it's ability to separate water and alcohol made me wonder if it had other less useful applications. Such as separating salt from water. :rolleyes:

Anyhow, interesting article. Thought I'd share.



Boom!-Shak-A-Lak!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39482342

A UK-based team of researchers has created a graphene-based sieve capable of removing salt from seawater.
The sought-after development could aid the millions of people without ready access to clean drinking water.
The promising graphene oxide sieve could be highly efficient at filtering salts, and will now be tested against existing desalination membranes.
It has previously been difficult to manufacture graphene-based barriers on an industrial scale.
Reporting their results in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, scientists from the University of Manchester, led by Dr Rahul Nair, shows how they solved some of the challenges by using a chemical derivative called graphene oxide.
Isolated and characterised by a University of Manchester-led team in 2004, graphene comprises a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Its unusual properties, such as extraordinary tensile strength and electrical conductivity, have earmarked it as one of the most promising materials for future applications.
But it has been difficult to produce large quantities of single-layer graphene using existing methods, such as chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Current production routes are also quite costly.
On the other hand, said Dr Nair, "graphene oxide can be produced by simple oxidation in the lab".
He told BBC News: "As an ink or solution, we can compose it on a substrate or porous material. Then we can use it as a membrane.
"In terms of scalability and the cost of the material, graphene oxide has a potential advantage over single-layered graphene."
 

OMark

Member
Mar 26, 2017
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0
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I just wonder when/if these products will come to market. I've been reading tons of cool graphene applications, but this may be on top.
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Can you imagine how useful that would be on a lifeboat...
character44.gif
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
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Rossendale, Lancashire
Give it 5 years and they will irrigating the deserts using this technology, if some one like the Saudis throw some money at it the sky's the limit!

ATB

Tom
 

Robson Valley

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Nov 24, 2014
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There are saline aquifers in many desert areas, that's a value I'd like to see.
Look at the concentration of gold in sea water. Could be another driver.
Plankton are such huge organisms when compared with sodium and chloride ions, pretreatment could put them back in the water.
If/when the process is scaled up to community levels, what will be done with the waste salt piles?
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,367
Bedfordshire
Chaps, this is lab research and is going to stay that way for many many years, if it ever gets out at all.

Researchers get all excited about new materials, new discoveries, but whether it is used will depend on the engineering, the economics and human nature, not the science. Yes, it might work out better than existing membranes, in which case it may take over in reverse osmosis pumps for things like life rafts, but for communities....it is still a challenge to get them drinking water clean of protozoa, and they are easy to filter out, and we have known how for decades.

The Saudis are more likely to spend money on solar desalination. Mind you, after many announcements of building the worlds largest such site, I can't see any evidence they have actually done so, so it seems a long shot that they would back something so new and far away from scalability.
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
I will walk on the side of shere optimism. The manufacturing puzzles have solutions, already.
The key thing is to watch for venture capital investors to front up. They don't pick stinkers.
The concept may well lead into land reclamation and remediation which is sorely needed.
 

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