A water treatment plant in Incheon on July 20, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean research team has developed a new filter material that can instantly purify phenolic microplastics and volatile organic compounds contained in the water.
The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology said Tuesday its research team developed an atypical porosity high molecule material that shows excellent performance in absorbing phenolic pollutants and generating heat when exposed to light.
The research team developed a separation membrane with a diameter of about 10 centimeters by using this material.
When exposed to sunlight, the material creates heat convection with the water purification tank. As the water within the tank evaporates, the purifier filters out pollutant materials, allowing only clean water to flow into the opposite side.
The purification test using this separation membrane showed that the absorbent characteristics and the photothermal reaction removed pollutant materials by up to about 100 percent.
The membrane’s performance was maintained even after multiple uses.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
