Scalable, Green, and Cost-Effective Carbonized Sand for Efficient Solar Desalination

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Global freshwater scarcity necessitates sustainable desalination solutions.
• Solar energy offers a green and abundant resource for water treatment.
• Interfacial solar desalination is an emerging, energy-efficient technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate carbon-coated sand as a photothermal material for solar desalination.
• To develop a 3D system for enhanced performance under real-world conditions.
• To investigate the salt rejection capabilities of the developed system.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of carbon-coated sand from low-cost, abundant materials (sand and sugar).
• Fabrication of a three-dimensional (3D) solar desalination system.
• Performance testing under simulated and natural sunlight, varying environmental parameters.

Main Results:

• The superhydrophilic carbonized sand achieved an evaporation rate of 1.53 kg/m²h.
• The system demonstrated 82% efficiency under 1 sun irradiation.
• Effective salt rejection was observed, crucial for high-salinity water.

Conclusions:

• Carbon-coated sand is a viable photothermal material for solar-driven water desalination.
• The 3D system design enhances efficiency and practicality for freshwater production.
• The technology shows potential for sustainable and green water vaporization.