New discovery could lead to cheaper and more efficient water desalination
Removing salt from seawater to make it safe to drink means overcoming a number of scientific challenges, including optimising the membrane used for the desalination process – and new research into these membranes promises to make the whole operation cheaper and more accessible in the future. Scientists have figured out a way of potentially making membranes 30-40 percent more efficient in terms of the energy required to filter water.