Designing Tiny Filters to Solve Big Problems

Large Image Caption

In his lab at MIT, Zachary Smith is designing membranes with tiny pores that can filter tiny molecules based on their size. Here, Smith holds a “membrane coupon,” which is a small piece of polymer that can filter gas molecules selectively.

For many industrial processes, the typical way to separate gases, liquids, or ions is with heat, using slight differences in boiling points to purify mixtures. These thermal processes account for roughly 10% of the energy use in the United States.

Subscribe to