Testing Reverse Osmosis Membranes Against Time and Wear

Pertaining to reverse osmosis, how effective are graphene oxide membranes compared to membranes commonly used in industries today (specifically thin-film composite and cellulose acetate) in terms of their desalination abilities and longevity?

In order to answer this question, we propose a study comparing four different types of reverse osmosis membranes using water of varying salt concentrations. We will be testing two membranes that are more commonly used in industries today (cellulose acetate and thin-film composite), as well as two graphene oxide membranes (one with the addition of negatively charged ions and one without).

Based on our current knowledge and understanding of reverse osmosis membranes, we predict that the graphene oxide membranes will be the most effective due to their high water permeability and ability to repel ions. Furthermore, we expect the graphene oxide membrane with the negatively charged ions added to the structure to ultimately be the most effective in terms of its ability to repel ions, thus we expect it to decrease water salinity more than any other RO (reverse osmosis) membrane that we test.

Being able to answer our proposed question will not only impact the global scientific community, but it will benefit the world as a whole; by providing new knowledge of the effectiveness of reverse osmosis membranes, both industries and consumers can be informed about the ideal materials for reverse osmosis. Using this research, we can optimize the process of reverse osmosis to provide clean, fresh water around the planet.