(Note to Editors: To interview Sirkar, contact Sheryl Weinstein, 973-596-3436.)
Sirkar, who is now researching an exciting breakthrough method to desalinate sea or brackish water, holds more than 20 patents in the field of membrane separation. Using his desalination technology, engineers will be able to recover water from brines with the highest salt concentrations. His talk will touch on this new and upcoming research.
Sirkar will also discuss the newest advances in heat exchangers as well as what's new in reverse osmosis. He will highlight the work of four other NJIT professors in the departments of chemistry, and civil and environmental engineering, who are also working to bring higher levels of potable water to communities in the US and around the world.
Sirkar's distillation process has been especially notable because once ready, it will work with brines holding salt concentrations above 5.5 percent. Currently, 5.5 percent is the highest percentage of salt in brine that can be treated using reverse osmosis.
"We especially like our new process because we can fuel it with low-grade, inexpensive waste heat," Sirkar said. "Cheap heat costs less and heats brine efficiently."
The science behind Sirkar's membrane distillation process is simple. The inexpensive fuel heats the water, forcing it to evaporate from the salt solution.
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Contact: Sheryl Weinstein
sheryl.m.weinstein@njit.edu
973-596-3436
New Jersey Institute of Technology
6-Jun-2006