The complex mystery of membranes: Researchers find controlling the nanoscale structure of membranes is key for clean water

Date posted
Funding Agency
(Funded by the National Science Foundation)

Researchers from Penn State, The University of Texas at Austin, Iowa State University, Dow Chemical Company, and DuPont Water Solutions have elucidated details of how membranes filter minerals from water. The team found that nanoscale variations in density of the membrane influenced water-filtration performance. This discovery could increase membrane efficiency by 30% to 40%.