| Purpose | Purification of water and other substances |
| Inventors | |
| Key Innovations | Parachute-filter for rainwater collection • Sky-filter networks for clean drinking water • Noble gas filtration and distillation for industry • Automated nanoscale filters for air and water purification • Molecular-level purification processes |
| Notable Features | Retention of valuable elements like noble gases • Nanoscale and molecular-level filtration processes |
| Application Areas | Urban areas • Modern cities • Buildings • Vehicles • Industry |
Filtration is the process of separating particles, gases, or liquids through the separation of physical and/or chemical barriers, screens, or membranes. In this alternate timeline, filtration has been radically transformed by innovations in molecular and nanoscale technologies, allowing for molecular-level water purification, sky-filter networks for collection of rainwater, and sophisticated systems for filtering noble gases for industrial uses.
In this timeline, filtration is characterized by three distinct but interrelated processes:
Each of these forms of filtration has had profound implications for the development of modern infrastructure, industry, and everyday life.
Perhaps the most notable example of how filtration technology has been altered in this timeline came with the Wright brothers' invention of the Parachute-Filter. Instead of developing wings for their famous flying machine, Orville and Wilbur Wright focused their efforts on perfecting a device capable of capturing and purifying water.
One of the most common sights in modern cities is the extensive "sky-filter" networks that have replaced traditional piped water supplies. Unlike older systems that relied on large, centralized water treatment plants, the sky-filter networks are designed to capture and purify rainwater on site, using a combination of specialized filtration materials that can remove contaminants down to the molecular level.
This timeline's advancements in filtration technology have also allowed for the efficient separation and purification of noble gases such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. These gases, which have extremely low reactivity and boiling points, are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including welding, lighting, and even medical treatments.
Finally, this timeline's rapid advances in molecular and nanoscale filtration technologies have given rise to highly efficient, automated systems for cleaning the air and water in buildings and vehicles. These systems rely on advanced sensors and filter materials that can remove particles as small as a few molecules in diameter, ensuring that air and water are as pure as possible.
