The National Science Foundation has given a $970,000 grant to a research team in Clemson University’s College of Engineering and Science to create new technology that could play a key role in providing safe water.
Researchers will work toward developing the world’s first computer models capable of testing the chemical coatings and geometric designs on membranes without having to create a prototype in the lab, according to the university.
If they find the right combination, membranes will be less likely to clog as they filter impurities out of water from lakes, rivers and oceans, the university said. The technology could help lower the cost of water treatment around the world.
Principal investigator Sapna Sarupria, an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, will lead the research team.
“This project addresses a grand challenge facing society today: how to make clean water available to a growing population at a low cost,” Sarupria said. “The computer models we develop will lead to leapfrog improvement in membrane filtration technologies.”
