NTU team invents more efficient water-filtering membrane

Audrey Tan

The Straits Times

Publication Date : 11-09-2014

Filtering impurities and bacteria from waste water often requires the use of polymer or ceramic membranes - but these often come at a high cost and require frequent cleaning with expensive chemicals.

Now, a team from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore has come up with a self-cleaning membrane that is more cost-efficient.

Announced at a media briefing on Thursday, this membrane is made from a patented titanium dioxide nanotechnology - the brainchild of Assoc Prof Darren Sun, from NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

"With more of the world's population moving into urban cities and generating more waste water, there is a real need for cost-effective technology," Prof Sun said.

Polymer membranes, for instance, need to be replaced every two or three years, but the NTU-made membrane is expected to last twice as long.

The nano particles in the membrane also react to sunlight, helping them clean off the debris collected without the need for washing with chemicals like sodium hydroxide.

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NTU team invents more efficient water-filtering membrane

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