KASCT and IBM creates I-Phobe

Riyadh, March 22, SPA -- The King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology (KASCT) and IBM have accomplished a new invention in the
field of water desalination using nanotechnology, which is in a good
position to develop the membrane purification of salt water and toxic
substances with high speed efficiency.


A joint statement said that the endorsement of the registration
rights of this invention to the King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology and the IBM World under an agreement was reached between
the two sides with simultaneous declarations from Saudi Arabia and
the United States of America.


Bob Allen, manager of materials for water purification at IBM's
Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California said that this
research has resulted in promising results and that it will lay the
foundation for more intelligent and healthy applications contributing
to the maintenance of the planet and the ecosystem of the present and
future generations.

The new membranes, which rely on reverse osmosis, as reported by
KASCT bulletin is one of the most important discoveries in the field
of water desalination and purification, in which the joint team
between the KASCT and the IBM were able to devise a new concept of
membrane materials that can resist chlorine, in addition to carrying
out its tasks and maintaining the highest quality and accuracy that
will be suitable for use in removing toxic substances as it does not
allow the accumulation of bacteria.

The name of the newly discovered membrane is " I - Phobe " because
of the unique chemical composition of the ionized hydrophobics that
enable radical change when encountering different circumstances to
hydrophilic membrane, and the efficiency of water to pass through
the membrane becomes highly effective in the normal circumstances
making the method a highway channel for water by researchers.


One of the benefits of I-Phobe membrane is an easy toxic filtering
process, as it will be easily filtered due to ionization result from
the higher proportion of pH. Under these circumstances, the use of
reverse osmosis, clean and potable water will be accessed.


--SPA