Robust, Scalable, and Cost-Effective Surface Carbonized Pulp Foam for Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Existing solar-driven evaporators for seawater desalination face challenges with stability, cost, and complex fabrication.
• There is a need for efficient, cost-effective, and scalable solar evaporation technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, low-cost, and easily fabricated solar-driven evaporator using pulp-natural rubber foam.
• To evaluate the performance and potential applications of the surface-carbonized pulp-natural rubber (CPNR) foam for water desalination and purification.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a pulp-natural rubber (PNR) foam with a unique porous structure.
• Facile surface carbonization of the PNR foam to create a photothermal layer.
• Characterization of the CPNR foam's structure, light absorption, thermal conductivity, and water adsorption properties.
• Testing the solar evaporation performance under 1 sun illumination.

Main Results:

• The CPNR foam exhibited strong light absorption (93.2%) and low thermal conductivity (0.1 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹).
• Achieved a high evaporation rate of 1.62 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and 98.09% efficiency.
• Demonstrated excellent cost-effectiveness, heat localization, and salt rejection properties.
• Showcased potential for treating simulated sewage, concentrating metal ions, and seawater desalination.

Conclusions:

• The developed CPNR foam is a promising, cost-effective, and stable material for solar-driven water desalination and purification.
• Its unique porous structure and facile fabrication offer significant advantages over existing technologies.
• The CPNR foam presents a viable solution for addressing global water scarcity challenges.