Could Graphene Make Polluted Water Drinkable?

It seems that new discoveries and new potential uses for the miracle product graphene just keep turning up at an unbelievable rate. The latest eye-popping announcement from researchers involves the revelation that a form of graphene has been found to be extremely successful at filtering pollutants out of water to make it drinkable again – in a single, inexpensive step. This includes the possibility of desalinating sea water to make it suitable for drinking.

For those who may not yet have heard about graphene, it is a carbon derivative whose properties were only recently explored extensively, for which two scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. It has been identified as the strongest material on earth, and is a known super-conductor of heat and electricity, and yet it is almost transparent – a single sheet of it is roughly 100 times thinner than paper.

Since that initial period of research, a great deal more exploration has been conducted into the properties of this amazing substance, and new practical uses are being discovered regularly, all of which make it more and more valuable. High-quality graphene sheets and monolayer graphene are produced by some manufacturers such as Grolltex of San Diego, CA.

What Graphair does

Graphair is the name of the product which has been produced to accomplish the astounding water filtration process which converts sea water or contaminated water back to usable drinking water. One of the groups involved in the research surrounding the filtration process was the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), which is acknowledged as the most accomplished of all research bodies in Australia. CSIRO’s research has shown that graphene film can be combined with nanometer-sized channels to produce a system that easily passes water, but blocks all pollutants.

The excitement about the discovery doesn’t stop there though. The simplicity of the process is another big part of its appeal, because all that’s really necessary for the process is a small-sized water pump, a membrane filter, a heat source, and the graphene itself. Another big advantage of this system is that, while most water filtration systems are severely degraded by any kind of oil-based pollutants, Graphair’s capabilities do not deteriorate at all. Unlike all other known filtration configurations which require painstaking cleaning after exposure to oil by-products, Graphair requires none at all, and can continue to effectively filter pollutants without clogging up.  

Implications for Graphair

The potential uses for Graphair are only limited by the imagination. Since there are currently billions of people in underdeveloped nations who do not have access to a safe water supply, this might easily become the best available solution. Water filtration efforts in the past for such countries have been hindered by the fact that an enormous amount of power is needed, and that isn’t always available in developing nations. Graphair filtration has no such drawbacks, and can be carried out very cheaply, making it ideal for such scenarios.

Where to purchase high-quality graphene

With the continuing rapid-fire applications for this material increasing its value daily, there are all kinds of reasons why industrial organizations would want their own supply of the material. To acquire high-quality graphene sheets for sale, or monolayer graphene, contact us with any questions you might have, or to place an order.

Graphene is a product which can be used in a number of amazing ways to improve the world around us, and make life better for inhabitants of the planet. The water filtration process may be the most recent addition to the many benefits provided by graphene, but it certainly will not be the last.