Scientists from Princeton University have developed a way to cheaply purify seawater. Airgel,
Egg whites are a complex systemalmost pure protein, which, when freeze-dried and heated to 900°C in an oxygen-free environment, creates a structure of interconnected strands of carbon fibers and sheets of graphene. Such a structure is a semi-permeable reverse osmosis membrane: it allows the solvent to pass through, but retains the substances dissolved in it.
A protein airgel structure formed by sheets of graphene stretched over meshes of carbon fibers. Image: Shaharyar Wani, Princeton Engineering
Researchers have shown that airgel cancreate not only from raw eggs. They have the same properties as cooked or beaten eggs, as well as other types of proteins. At the same time, in a series of experiments, the airgel obtained from proteins turned out to be more effective than activated carbon.
At the same time, as the researchers note, compared to commercial reverse osmosis systems, the new technology uses only gravity and does not require any energy costs.
Scientists are currently working on creatinga scalable protein airgel technology that will not compete with the food industry and cause excess demand for chicken eggs.
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