title: Supersonically blown nylon-6 nanofibers entangled with graphene flakes for water purification.
abstract: Water purification membranes, capable of purifying a few to tens of milliliters of aqueous methylene blue solution in a minute, were produced by supersonically blowing graphene flakes with a nylon-6 polymeric solution. The solution-blown nylon-6 nanofibers became entangled with graphene flakes thereby locking the graphene flakes within the frame of the bendable two-dimensional film structure. This method, which yielded a 5 × 7 cm(2)-sized membrane in less than 10 seconds, is commercially viable owing to fast fabrication and scalability. We show that our water purification device allows a flow rate range of 0.3-4 L h(-1) with a membrane area of just 5 cm(2), under a pressure difference of 0.5-3.5 bar. If the membrane were scaled up to 0.5 m(2), it could provide 300-4000 L h(-1) flow rate, an ample supply for home use.
authors.affiliation: School of Mech. Eng., Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea. skyoon@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong-Gun
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Do-Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mukund G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mali
authors.forename: Salem S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Deyab
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Swihart
authors.forename: Sam S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D002209:Caprolactam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; C009916:nylon 6; D002209:Caprolactam; D006108:Graphite