According to the company, they have produced carbon membranes with regular holes only about a nanometer in size.
The holes are big enough to allow water molecules to pass through, but small enough to block bigger molecules, such as salt, from getting through.
Lead engineer John Stetson said, "It's five hundred times thinner than the best filter on the market today and a thousand times stronger. The energy that's required and the pressure that's required to filter salt is approximately one hundred times less."
He also added that graphene is only one atom thick, yet a thousand times stronger than steel.
Despite that strength, it tears easily, due to it's being so thin.
Graphene would also be much cheaper than most purification methods.
If proven viable, the filters could help provide clean water to nearly a billion people who do not have access to clean water.
They also would allow for ships at sea to more easily provide drinkable water.
Other applications are being considered for the material, as well.
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