Posted on 09/09/2015 8:52:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Finding ways to create clean drinking water where there is none is a field of constant innovation. Desalination, the process of filtering seawater to make it fit for human use, is perhaps the most common and researchers around the globe are on a quest to bring cost-effective and portable desalination technology to rural areas where it is desperately needed. So it’s exciting news that researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt have developed a promising new method that can turn salt water into fresh water in just a few minutes.
The new Egyptian method relies on salt-attracting membranes and vaporizing heat to turn dirty seawater into fresh water for human consumption and irrigation purposes. Researchers used membranes containing cellulose acetate powder, which is very inexpensive to make in Egypt. The powder works in combination with other components to bind the salt particles as they pass through the membrane. Essentially, it’s a filter designed to trap the salt and allow fresh water to pass through, much like other types of filters trap particles and microbes.
Related: Desolenator turns the sun’s energy into water for less than the cost of a big screen TV
That’s the first part of the two-phase process called pervaporation. The second step involves heating the resulting water until it vaporizes. Similar to distillation, the water vapor is then condensed to get rid of other small impurities, and clean water is collected.
Researchers published their findings last month in Water Science and Technology, claiming this method makes is possible to efficiently process water that is tainted with multiple contaminants – which is something that is rather difficult and time consuming to do using existing technologies.
This new method could help thousands gain easier access to clean water for consumption as well as irrigation, starting with an abundant resource like dirty seawater. Starting with cheap, locally produced materials makes it more cost-effective to produce and distribute this type of desalination equipment. The other benefit is that this method doesn’t require electricity. That keeps the cost low and makes it possible to use this filtering method nearly anywhere, even in undeveloped rural areas.
sounds great...
now what do you do with the salt?
Makes sense.
Not that different conceptually from polymer membrane systems used in wastewater treatment.
Dump it in Mexico?
Maybe it will sooth the global warming fanatics, keep those sea levels down. :p
Send it to Bloomberg.
[now what do you do with the salt?]
Make Play Dough?
Send it to the restaurants in NYC
Bwahahaha!
Northerners could salt their icy roads, and california could have a drink. Oh and it would slow the rising seas caused by globull worming.
HOORAY Researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt
It’s great sprinkled on heirloom tomatoes with fresh lemon juice and EVOO.
The salt does not come out of the process as crystals like in your salt shaker.
Essentially, you have an entire ocean full of salt water and only produce a very small percentage of that as fresh water. The excess salt is returned to the ocean in the form of slightly more concentrated salt water.
Put it on your food
From the article:
“The technology has been around since the mid-90s...What is new is making the membrane locally, using materials abundant in Egypt”
“It can effectively desalinate water with high concentration of salt like that of the Red Sea, where desalination costs more and yields less.”
It’s nice to see something other than mayhem and retrogrades come out of that part of the world.
Heating massive amounts of water seems like it woukd be uber costly.
To No. 2. What do you do with the salt? Kosher your meats, of course.
Now if there was anyone in Egyptian history up till this new scientific group/discovery, who was an expert on water, it was Moses.
I think he had some experiences with turning sour water into sweet water.
If they can’t find the information in the Old Testament, they can always call an Orthodox rabbi in nearby Israel for the sources.
Gee, isn’t it nice being at peace with each other. You can actually help one another with serious problems.
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