The Potential use of the World's Strongest Material for Producing Safe Drinking Water

Graphene, often hailed as a "miracle material," is a million times thinner than a single human hair and surpasses steel in strength. This two-dimensional carbon substance, created from single layers of graphite, a material extracted from the earth, is exceptionally lightweight, conductive, and flexible. It holds the promise of revolutionizing various industries, from electronics to transportation, with its transformative potential.

Khalifa University researchers in the UAE are investigating the potential of graphene in the production of drinking water. According to Hassan Arafat, senior director of the university's Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D), this is particularly crucial in the UAE where all potable water is desalinated, making it a vital sector for the economy and society.

Desalination is the crucial process of purifying seawater by removing salt and other impurities to make it safe for drinking. This process is essential for more than 300 million people worldwide and will continue to grow in importance as climate change and pollution deplete our fresh water sources. However, desalination is expensive and requires a significant amount of energy.

Desalination solutions

RIC2D was established in 2022 at Khalifa University, with investment from the government of Abu Dhabi, to further research into graphene innovations and its production.

As the senior director, Arafat oversees multiple projects, but his primary research focus is on water. He explains that graphene has the potential to prolong the life of membranes by preventing fouling, a process in which bacteria build up on the filter and diminish its quality. Arafat suggests that utilizing graphene to improve filter performance could lower energy consumption and decrease desalination costs.

"These graphene materials greatly enhance the membrane's water production performance even in small amounts," he explains. The membranes, currently in the development phase, will be manufactured and upscaled at the University of Manchester in the UK, in collaboration with RIC2D, next year. Following this, the membranes will undergo testing at a desalination plant.

Arafat is not the sole individual interested in graphene for desalination. Startups like Watercycle Technologies are working on creating graphene-enhanced membranes to eliminate specific minerals from water, while Molymem is concentrating on dye removal. However, Arafat asserts that RIC2D's membrane surpasses similar water filters in recent academic literature, and their partnership with the University of Manchester enables them to scale the technology for industrial testing.

In addition to desalination, RIC2D is also investigating other uses for graphene, such as sustainable construction materials that could potentially reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and renewable hydrogen energy solutions.

Making graphene from methane

Despite its transformational potential, graphene has proven difficult and expensive to produce at scale.

Graphite's impact on mass-market solutions has been limited by its single-layer composition. Despite this, researchers at RIC2D are focused on finding ways to reduce costs and production time without sacrificing quality, according to Arafat.

Another production method involves using plasma chemistry to extract carbon from gases like methane, a by-product of the oil and gas industry that contains both carbon and hydrogen, a greenhouse gas.

Gases produced in Abu Dhabi's petrochemical industry could be transformed into graphene.

The UAE is a leading global oil producer, with about 30% of its GDP coming from hydrocarbons. Despite this, the country is committed to diversifying its economy and has set a goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050.

Graphene could help with both ambitions.

RIC2D collaborated with UK startup Levidian, which developed its own plasma chemistry process to extract carbon from methane.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, the graphene innovation center at the University of Manchester, sees a significant opportunity to advance the use of graphene in addressing climate change by tapping into the supply chain of the UAE. Teaming up with Khalifa University, they are set to launch the RIC2D lab in 2022.

According to Baker, any carbon-based material, including waste from the oil and gas industry and petroleum products such as car tires, could be repurposed to create chemically manufactured graphene, presenting an effective recycling or reuse solution. He notes that there is considerable interest in the UAE regarding the production supply chain for graphene, with ongoing efforts to increase production capacity from grams to kilograms to tons.

Producing graphene from methane offers an additional advantage: the extracted hydrogen can be utilized as a fuel, according to Baker. Additionally, Baker suggests that graphene-composite materials could be employed for storing hydrogen in more durable pressure vessels.

Thinking globally

During the Graphene Flagship Week in September, an initiative funded by the European Union, RIC2D presented various projects that are already making strides towards commercialization. This includes a collaboration with the French company Grapheal, known for their graphene-based biosensors, as well as a partnership with the Turkish company NanoGrafen, focused on the conversion of waste materials like used tires into graphene products for composite construction materials.

Arafat states, "The more innovative and transformative the idea, the more complex the path to commercialization is likely to be." He also hopes that his research will make a difference in the Emirates and worldwide, as they are thinking globally from the start.