In a sign that security may best be achieved not through militarization, but rather ensuring access to the basic needs for life (food, water, shelter), defense contractor Lockheed Martin recently received a patent for a revolutionary desalination process. The numbers are pretty familiar to all by now, but they bear repeating. Some 71% of the earth is covered in water, but 97% of that is saltwater and most of the remainder is trapped in glaciers. Being able to find a way to remove the salt from ocean water that does not require massive energy inputs may hold the key to clean water for much of the world currently struggling with this issue.
Lockheed Martin’s patent is “for Perforene™ material, a molecular filtration solution designed to meet the growing global demand for potable water.” As with typical desalination, Proferene removes sodium (along with other “impurities”) from the water to yield potable water.
Perforene represents a technological breakthrough in the nanosphere. At just one atom thick, the material “was developed by placing holes that are one nanometer or less in a graphene membrane. These holes are small enough to trap the ions while dramatically improving the flow-through of water molecules, reducing clogging and pressure on the membrane.” The scale allows for desalination at a much lower cost than current reverse osmosis technology.
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