Development of Shaped MIL-100(Fe) Granules for High-Performing Adsorption Desalination: From Formulation Optimization...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Adsorption desalination (AD) offers a sustainable water purification method using low-grade heat.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise for AD due to high water adsorption.
• Powdered MOFs present challenges like pipe clogging and pressure drops in industrial AD systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop shaped MIL-100(Fe) MOF granules for improved AD system performance.
• To optimize the formulation of MIL-100(Fe) granules using different binders.
• To evaluate the desalination efficiency of shaped MOFs compared to powdered MOFs and silica gel.

Main Methods:

• Formulation optimization of MIL-100(Fe) with polyvinyl butyral (PVB) binder.
• Preparation of MIL-100(Fe)@5PVB granules.
• Characterization of granule properties (surface area, pore volume, mechanical strength).
• Performance testing in an adsorption desalination system.

Main Results:

• MIL-100(Fe)@5PVB granules exhibited enhanced mechanical strength and adsorption kinetics.
• Binder addition reduced surface area and water uptake but improved AD system performance.
• The AD system with MIL-100(Fe)@5PVB granules achieved 30% higher specific daily water production (SDWP) than MIL-100(Fe) powder.
• Shaped MOFs outperformed silica gel in the AD system.

Conclusions:

• Shaped MIL-100(Fe)@5PVB granules are effective for adsorption desalination, overcoming limitations of powdered MOFs.
• Formulation optimization is crucial for balancing MOF properties and AD system efficiency.
• This study demonstrates the potential of shaped MOFs for scalable and efficient water production.