Prague, June 23 (CTK) – Scientists and industrialists from the town of Liberec, north Bohemia, unveiled on Wednesday a new water filter, comprised of nanofiber membranes, which is much more efficient than all conventional filters, daily Pravo writes yesterday.
“Five years ago, the information appeared that nanofibers can be used for water purification. However, the development did not yield results as it was too hasty,” Jakub Hruza, from The Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technology and Innovation at the Technical University of Liberec (TUL), is quoted as saying.
“We have managed to get one level higher by developing a nanofiber membrane that has a specifically modified surface with which it differs from usual nanofiber layers that are applied,” Hruza said.
The latest filter is supposed to be substantially more efficient than all the existing water purification filters and it is to be usable for at least ten years, Pravo writes.
The scientists worked on the development of the new material along with the Liberec-based firm BMTO that manufactures water management products, it adds.
“As far as we know, we are the only in the world to offer the membranes for water purification from nanofiber structures,” Jiri Busek, head of the BMTO board of directors, is quoted as saying.
The development of the material started in 2011. It was associated with Professor Oldrich Jirsak, inventor of the first machine for the industrial processing of nanofibers, Pravo writes.
“It was our first aim to purify waste water into service water. At present, we are routinely doing this and the purified service water has no sanitary problems,” Busek said.
“It was our next aim to purify the service or rain water into drinking water. We have managed to do this, too,” he added.
Petr Kudrna, BMTO director in charge of trade and technological affairs, said the new device was ahead of our time.
“We are able to purify waste water into fresh water, but the Czech law does not permit such a large-scale treatment in a single step,” Kudrna said.
“We want to have this changed,” he added.
The nanofiber filter from Liberec is already used by the Capi hnizdo (Stork Nest) firm in the Czech Republic.
“It was interested in progress. Since it wanted to support Czech research and the environment, we agreed with it on a pilot project,” Kudrna said.
“By means of our filtration, we are purifying waste water into service water there,” he added.
The Capi hnizdo resort is owned by Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO).
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