Hydrophobic nanostructured wood membrane for thermally efficient distillation
(PHYSorg.com Nanotechnology)

During water desalination, membrane distillation (MD) is challenged by the inefficiency of water thermal separation from dissolved solutes, due to its dependence on membrane porosity and thermal conductivity. For instance, existing petroleum-derived membranes have faced major development barriers. In a new report now on Science Advances, Dianxun Hou and colleagues at the interdisciplinary departments of civil, environmental, architectural engineering, materials science and mechanical engineering in the U.S., Norway and China fabricated a robust MD membrane directly from sustainable wood material for the first time.