New Membrane that Purifies Water Could Have Medical Applications.

A newly developed membrane used to treat oil-containing wastewater might be useful for medical purification processes such as those involved with dialysis. Passing polluted water through the membrane reduced oil concentrations by over 95%. The membrane is made of a carbon nanotube integrated polymer composite with a polyvinyl alcohol barrier layer. While the technology has obvious uses for catching and purifying water waste from mines and factories before it enters drains or the water table, it could also have various medical applications. The advance is described in Scientific Reports.