DRDO develops indigenous seawater desalination tech

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an indigenous seawater desalination technology, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

Developed by the Defence Materials Stores and Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), the Kanpur-based laboratory of DRDO, the nanoporous multilayered polymeric membrane technology will be used for high-pressure seawater desalination in Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships.

The technology for the desalination plant in Coast Guard ships is based on their operational requirements. It will also address the challenge of ship stability when exposed to chloride ions in saline water.

Notably, the development has been completed in a record time of eight months, the Ministry said.

“DMSRDE, along with ICG, successfully carried out initial technical trials in the existing desalination plant of the Offshore Patrolling Vessel (OPV) of ICG. The initial safety and performance trials of the polymeric membranes were found to be fully satisfactory,” the Ministry said.

The ICG will grant a final operational clearance after 500 hours of operational testing, it noted. Currently, the unit is under testing and trials on OPV.

“This membrane will be a boon for desalination of sea water in coastal areas after certain modifications. It is another step by DMSRDE in the journey of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” the Ministry said.

The DMSRDE lab is responsible for developing non-metallic materials and related technologies for the Indian military, including protective clothing and equipment.

It works in the area of non-metallic materials which include polymers, polymer matrix composites, elastomers, carbonaceous nanostructured materials, stealth materials, polymer precursors, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), ceramics, technical textiles, fuels, lubricants, specialty materials, etc.

Its key area of work includes specialty clothing and shelter for service personnel; protective clothing and equipment like bulletproof jackets, blast protection suits, NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) suits, and glacier clothing

--IANS

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