Water scarcity is an issue in many parts of the world, with an estimated 500 million people living under severe water scarcity all year round.  With sea water within touching distance of many of these places, the ability to efficiently turn sea water into something drinkable is of pressing concern, especially in countries such as Qatar, which gets nearly all of its water from desalination processes.

New research from Carnegie Mellon highlights the progress being made in the use of membranes to desalinate water.  The research focuses on a new type of membrane, known as a metal-conductive framework (MOF).

These membranes consist of a metal center and an organic compound laid out in a pentagonal pattern, with the whole in the center then acting as a pore for the device.

The device is believed to be especially effective in part because it’s so thin.  At just a few atoms in thickness, it means there’s very little friction present as the water molecules pass through the pore.  The design of the pore also helps with permeation as the adjacency reduces any friction in the process.

“There’s no pressure from the wall side,” the researchers explain. “And that gives them this opportunity to pass more easily through the pore.”

These features, combined with the structural integrity of the membrane, and the researchers believe they have a device that is both efficient and robust, and can produce drinkable water for less time and energy.

Taken together, the researchers have strong hopes that their technology will be able to have a big impact, not least because even small improvements in efficiency can have a huge impact simply because the throughput of most desalinization plants is so large.

“We need to provide fresh water for many underprivileged people, like in Africa or other places,” the researchers say. “Basically that’s our mission—to make it so energy efficient that we have water desalination everywhere.”