Diamond nanomembranes make electronics 10x cooler, 5x faster to charge

Diamond is more than a pretty face – it knows how to keep its cool, thanks to its excellent thermal conductivity. Now, engineers at Fraunhofer have taken advantage of that, using ultra-thin diamond membranes to drastically cool electronic components an… Continue reading Diamond nanomembranes make electronics 10x cooler, 5x faster to charge

Mushroom-derived membranes may make for greener oil-spill cleanups

When it comes to cleaning up marine oil spills, it’s best if you can use a material that separates the oil from the seawater. Scientists have created a new organic membrane which does exactly that, and it’s derived from oyster mushrooms.Continue Readin… Continue reading Mushroom-derived membranes may make for greener oil-spill cleanups

Teflon-like desalination membrane purifies water fast and friction-free

Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new type of desalination membrane that they claim is faster, and requires less pressure and energy than existing tech. The new membrane is made up of a series of nanoscale tubes lined with a Teflon-… Continue reading Teflon-like desalination membrane purifies water fast and friction-free

Mixed up membrane desalinates water with 99.99 percent efficiency

That ancient mariner was onto something when he said “water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” – the vast majority of water on Earth is undrinkable. Desalination could be a vital technology to meet the world’s drinking water needs, and now Korea… Continue reading Mixed up membrane desalinates water with 99.99 percent efficiency

Bacterial biofilm wrings oil out of water

Once oil gets into water, it can be difficult to separate the two, which can make polluted water tricky to clean up. Now, researchers at North Carolina (NC) State University have found that a bacterial biofilm membrane can effectively let water through… Continue reading Bacterial biofilm wrings oil out of water

New active cooling fabric helps beat the heat while repelling water

Researchers at Donghua University in China have developed a new type of fabric they claim can keep the wearer much cooler. The material is made from several different polymers in a relatively simple way, and can efficiently transfer heat and wick away … Continue reading New active cooling fabric helps beat the heat while repelling water

Fluorinated membrane breaks a limit for capturing carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is an all too common waste product of industry, belched into the air in huge amounts from smokestacks. Now, researchers have developed a new type of fluorinated membrane that can selectively filter CO2 out of flue gas at the point of rel… Continue reading Fluorinated membrane breaks a limit for capturing carbon dioxide

Wooden filtration membrane promises efficient and more sustainable water desalination

Water desalination technologies play a vital role in converting saltwater into freshwater in parts of the world where access to the latter is lacking, but there is plenty of room for improvement. One opportunity for this lies in the materials… Continue reading Wooden filtration membrane promises efficient and more sustainable water desalination