By DPA
Singapore : Researchers have developed a membrane that filters impurities such as carbon dioxide from natural gas, the National University of Singapore said Wednesday.
The result is a cleaner and more efficient source of energy, said Raj Rajagopalan. Up to 98 percent of impurities can be filtered out through the pores of the membrane.
“The idea of membrane separation is to use molecularly engineered materials and make thin films to the structure that we want,” Rajagopalan said.
Use of natural gas without filtration of impurities leads to production of pollutants that contribute to global warming, he said.
The membrane could be commercialised in five years.
The team is one of five in the world working on similar projects. It was selected to receive funding under Singapore’s Competitive Research Programme.