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Mechanical engineering award

Published: 25/12/18

Dr. Boris Liberman, a 26-year veteran at IDE and current VP and CTO of Membrane Technologies, was awarded the Emerging Technology Award for his development of high-pressure membranes that help make safe, clean water more affordable to millions around the world.

Dr. Boris Liberman, CTO and VP of Membrane Technologies at IDE Technologies, Awarded Emerging Technology Award by Mechanical Engineering Magazine

Dr. Boris Liberman, a 26-year veteran at IDE and current VP and CTO of Membrane Technologies, was awarded the Emerging Technology Award for his development of high-pressure membranes that help make safe, clean water more affordable to millions around the world. Used in IDE’s reverse osmosis (RO) technology for desalination, Dr. Liberman’s patented technology is designed to maximize membrane throughput and salt rejection, making it more energy efficient while reducing costly scaling and fouling.

As water scarcity prevails in areas around the world, including parts of the U.S. and Israel, having a sustainable water solution alternative is vital. Dr. Liberman’s radical 16” membrane design is a vertical array of membranes installed at the Sorek Desalination Plant, the largest SWRO desalination plant in the world. It provides clean, potable water for more than 1.5 million people, which comprises 20% of the municipal water demand in Israel. This helps alleviating the country’s potable water shortage, while minimizing the impact on terrestrial and marine environments.

Aside from Sorek, Dr. Liberman’s technology has also been implemented at the Ashkelon and Hadera desalination plants, both pushing the envelope for large-scale RO production at one of the world’s lowest prices. Dr. Liberman’s developments have transformed the industry, as desalination is now more economically viable than ever. As countries around the world gear up for another warm year ahead, solutions like desalination will be crucial to providing a continuous and sustainable source of water.

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