IBM Develops Water Purification Membrane

Working with Japan's Central Glass, Saudi Arabia's King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology, and the University of Texas, Austin, IBM has developed a new desalination membrane that it says filters salts and arsenic from water while using less energy than other forms of water purification. The membrane, made from fluorine-based materials, is also resistant to chlorine damage and performs well in mildly basic conditions. "At IBM we have a 20- to 25-year record of innovative new materials based on chemistry and nanotechnology for building the semiconductor chips that we all know and use today. We've decided to target a different application, which is water," says Robert D. Allen, manager of the water purification project at the IBM Almaden Research Center.