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Yan H, Wang P, Li L, Zhao Z, Xiang Y, Guo H, Yang B, Yang X, Li K, Li Y, He X, You Y. Development Status of Solar-Driven Interfacial Steam Generation Support Layer Based on Polymers and Biomaterials: A Review. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:2427. [PMID: 39274060 PMCID: PMC11397863 DOI: 10.3390/polym16172427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/16/2024] Open
Abstract
With the increasing shortage of water resources and the aggravation of water pollution, solar-driven interfacial steam generation (SISG) technology has garnered considerable attention because of its low energy consumption, simple operation, and environmental friendliness. The popular multi-layer SISG evaporator is composed of two basic structures: a photothermal layer and a support layer. Herein, the support layer underlies the photothermal layer and carries out thermal management, supports the photothermal layer, and transports water to the evaporation interface to improve the stability of the evaporator. While most research focuses on the photothermal layer, the support layer is typically viewed as a supporting object for the photothermal layer. This review focuses on the support layer, which is relatively neglected in evaporator development. It summarizes existing progress in the field of multi-layer interface evaporators, based on various polymers and biomaterials, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Specifically, mainly polymer-based support layers are reviewed, including polymer foams, gels, and their corresponding functional materials, while biomaterial support layers, including natural plants, carbonized biomaterials, and other innovation biomaterials are not. Additionally, the corresponding structure design strategies for the support layer were also involved. It was found that the selection and optimal design of the substrate also played an important role in the efficient operation of the whole steam generation system. Their evolution and refinement are vital for advancing the sustainability and effectiveness of interfacial evaporation technology. The corresponding potential future research direction and application prospects of support layer materials are carefully presented to enable effective responses to global water challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haipeng Yan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Pan Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Lingsha Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Zixin Zhao
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Yang Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Haoqian Guo
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Boli Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Xulin Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Kui Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Ying Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Xiaohong He
- School of Automation, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Yong You
- Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Li J, Cao Y, Ding K, Ye J, Li F, Ma C, Lv P, Xu Y, Shi L. Research progress of industrial wastewater treatment technology based on solar interfacial adsorption coupled evaporation process. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172887. [PMID: 38692317 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Solar interface evaporation is an effective method for the treatment of water that has low energy consumption. Adsorption is recognized to be one of the most stable wastewater treatment methods and is widely used. Combining solar interface evaporation with adsorption provides a novel and low-cost approach for the efficient removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. This paper reviews the characteristics and application of some common wastewater treatment methods. The photothermal conversion and the conceptual design of interface evaporation combined with adsorption are introduced and the photo-thermal conversion and adsorption methods are discussed. The study provides a summary of recent studies and advancements in interfacial evaporation-coupled adsorption materials, which include hydrogels, aerogels, and biomass materials for adsorption, and carbon materials for photothermal conversion. Finally, the current challenges encountered in industrial wastewater treatment are outlined and its prospects are discussed. The aim of this review is to explore a wide range of possibilities with the interfacial evaporation-coupled adsorption method and propose a new low-cost and high-efficiency method for industrial wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Yaowen Cao
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Kuan Ding
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Biomass Energy and Materials, Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Jianling Ye
- Hunan Engineering Geology and Mine Geology Survey and Monitoring Institute, Hunan Geological Bureau, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Fenqiang Li
- Hunan Engineering Geology and Mine Geology Survey and Monitoring Institute, Hunan Geological Bureau, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Chenbo Ma
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Peihong Lv
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Ying Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Lei Shi
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
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Yang Z, Li D, Zhu Y, Zhu X, Yu W, Yang K, Chen B. Developing Salt-Rejecting Evaporators for Solar Desalination: A Critical Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8610-8630. [PMID: 38720447 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Solar desalination, a green, low-cost, and sustainable technology, offers a promising way to get clean water from seawater without relying on electricity and complex infrastructures. However, the main challenge faced in solar desalination is salt accumulation, either on the surface of or inside the solar evaporator, which can impair solar-to-vapor efficiency and even lead to the failure of the evaporator itself. While many ideas have been tried to address this ″salt accumulation″, scientists have not had a clear system for understanding what works best for the enhancement of salt-rejecting ability. Therein, for the first time, we classified the state-of-the-art salt-rejecting designs into isolation strategy (isolating the solar evaporator from brine), dilution strategy (diluting the concentrated brine), and crystallization strategy (regulating the crystallization site into a tiny area). Through the specific equations presented, we have identified key parameters for each strategy and highlighted the corresponding improvements in the solar desalination performance. This Review provides a semiquantitative perspective on salt-rejecting designs and critical parameters for enhancing the salt-rejecting ability of dilution-based, isolation-based, and crystallization-based solar evaporators. Ultimately, this knowledge can help us create reliable solar desalination solutions to provide clean water from even the saltiest sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yang
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yunxia Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wentao Yu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Kaijie Yang
- Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials (AMPM) Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Baoliang Chen
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
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Abdelsalam MA, Sajjad M, Raza A, AlMarzooqi F, Zhang T. Sustainable biomimetic solar distillation with edge crystallization for passive salt collection and zero brine discharge. Nat Commun 2024; 15:874. [PMID: 38286989 PMCID: PMC10825211 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45108-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The urgency of addressing water scarcity and exponential population rise has necessitated the use of sustainable desalination for clean water production, while conventional thermal desalination processes consume fossil fuel with brine rejection. As a promising solution to sustainable solar thermal distillation, we report a scalable mangrove-mimicked device for direct solar vapor generation and passive salt collection without brine discharge. Capillarity-driven salty water supply and continuous vapor generation are ensured by anti-corrosion porous wicking stem and multi-layer leaves, which are made of low-cost superhydrophilic nanostructured titanium meshes. Precipitated salt at the leaf edge forms porous patch during daytime evaporation and get peeled by gravity during night when saline water rewets the leaves, and these salt patches can enhance vaporization by 1.6 times as indicated by our findings. The proposed solar vapor generator achieves a stable photothermal efficiency around 94% under one sun when treating synthetic seawater with a salinity of 3.5 wt.%. Under outdoor conditions, it can produce 2.2 L m-2 of freshwater per day from real seawater, which is sufficient for individual drinking needs. This kind of biomimetic solar distillation devices have demonstrated great capability in clean water production and passive salt collection to tackle global water and environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Abdelsalam
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muhammad Sajjad
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Aikifa Raza
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Faisal AlMarzooqi
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - TieJun Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Wang C, Zhang H, Kang Z, Fan J. 3D Cellular Solar Crystallizer for Stable and Ultra-Efficient High-Salinity Wastewater Treatment. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305313. [PMID: 38037848 PMCID: PMC10787074 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent developed interfacial solar brine crystallizers, which employ solar-driven water evaporation for salts crystallization from the near-saturation brine to achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD) brine treatment, are promising due to their excellent energy efficiency and sustainability. However, most existing interfacial solar crystallizers are only tested using NaCl solution and failed to maintain high evaporation capability when treating real seawater due to the scaling problem caused by the crystallization of high-valent cations. Herein, an artificial tree solar crystallizer (ATSC) with a multi-branched and interconnected open-cell cellular structure that significantly increased evaporation surface is rationally designed, achieving an ultra-high evaporation rate (2.30 kg m-2 h-1 during 2 h exposure) and high energy efficiency (128%) in concentrated real seawater. The unit cell design of ATSC promoted salt crystallization on the outer frame rather than the inner voids, ensuring that salt crystallization does not affect the continuous transport of brine through the pores inside the unit cell, thus ATSC can maintain a stable evaporation rate of 1.94 kg m-2 h-1 on average in concentrated seawater for 80 h continuous exposure. The design concept of ATSC represents a major step forward toward ZLD treatment of high-salinity brine in many industrial processes is believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hanchao Zhang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Zhanxiao Kang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jintu Fan
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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Yang Z, Li D, Yang K, Chen L, Wang J, Zhu X, Chen B. Optimized Water Supply in a Solar Evaporator for Simultaneous Freshwater Production and Salt Recycle. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:13047-13055. [PMID: 37607016 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Solar desalination has shown great potential in alleviating global water scarcity. However, the trade-off between energy efficiency and salt rejection remains a challenge, restricting its practical applications. In this study, we report a three-dimensional nitrocellulose membrane-based evaporator featuring a high evaporation rate (1.5 kg m-2 h-1) and efficient salt precipitation at the edges. Additionally, the salt is isolated from the photothermal area of the evaporator and falls automatically with a salt recovery rate of 97 g m-2 h-1 in brine with 10 wt % salt content. The distinctive performance is attributed to the precise water supply control, which was adjusted by changing the resistance force and driven force in the evaporator. With a high evaporation rate, stable performance, and specific salt recovery ability, this solar evaporation structure holds great potential in water desalination and resource recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yang
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Dawei Li
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaijie Yang
- Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials (AMPM) Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoying Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Baoliang Chen
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
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Yin Q, Kong F, Wang S, Du J, Pan L, Tao Y, Li P. 3D Printing of Solar Crystallizer with Polylactic Acid/Carbon Composites for Zero Liquid Discharge of High-Salinity Brine. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15071656. [PMID: 37050270 PMCID: PMC10096562 DOI: 10.3390/polym15071656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a technique for treating high-salinity brine to obtain freshwater and/or salt using a solar interface evaporator. However, salt accumulation on the surface of the evaporator is a big challenge to maintaining stable water evaporation. In this study, a simple and easy-to-manufacture evaporator, also called a crystallizer, was designed and fabricated by 3D printing. The photothermal layer printed with polylactic acid/carbon composites had acceptable light absorption (93%) within the wavelength zone of 250 nm–2500 nm. The micron-sized voids formed during 3D printing provided abundant water transportation channels inside the crystallizer. After surface hydrophilic modification, the crystallizer had an ultra-hydrophilic channel structure and gravity-assisted salt recovery function. The results revealed that the angles between the photothermal layers affected the efficacy of solar evaporation and the yield of solid salt. The crystallizer with the angle of 90° between two photothermal layers could collect more solid salt than the three other designs with angles of 30°, 60°, and 120°, respectively. The crystallizer has high evaporation and salt crystallization efficiency in a high-salinity brine environment, which is expected to have application potentials in the zero liquid discharge of wastewater and valuable salt recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Fangong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Shoujuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Jinbao Du
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Ling Pan
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
| | - Yubo Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (P.L.)
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (P.L.)
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