Porous evaporators with special wettability for low-grade heat-driven water desalination

Author(s): Zhigao Zhu ¹ ^, ² ^, ³ ^, ⁴ ^, ⁵ , Ying Xu ¹ ^, ² ^, ³ ^, ⁴ ^, ⁵ , Yifei Luo ⁶ ^, ⁷ ^, ⁸ ^, ⁹ ^, ¹⁰ , Wei Wang ¹ ^, ² ^, ³ ^, ⁴ ^, ⁵ , Xiaodong Chen ⁶ ^, ⁷ ^, ⁸ ^, ⁹ ^, ¹⁰

Publication date (Electronic): 2021

Journal: Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Read this article at

ScienceOpenPublisher

Bookmark

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Design of novel special wettable evaporators with robust stability for high-performances porous interface distillation.

Abstract

Against the backdrop of global water scarcity, porous interface distillation (PID) working on macroporous evaporation materials attracts ever-growing attention in sustainable desalination. It excels itself in the ability to treat high-salinity brines and employ low-grade heat energy from industrial sources or solar energy, as well as low installation complexity and cost. In recent years, PID evaporators with special wettability, such as omniphobicity, asymmetric superwettability, superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity, are especially effective in improving distillation efficiency and operation lifetime, and much progress is made in this aspect. To provide a comprehensive overview, this review puts forward a panoramic discussion on the recent progress of hydrophobic and hydrophilic porous evaporators with special wettability for low-grade heat-driven water desalination, with focuses on material and structural designs to improve distillation efficiency and long-term durability. Current challenges and future perspectives are also provided as a guide for future research towards the practical application of PID for sustainable water desalination.

Related collections

Most cited references 256

Record: found
Abstract: not found
Article: not found

Wettability of porous surfaces

A. B. D. Cassie, Paul S Baxter (1944)

0 comments Cited 907 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Science and technology for water purification in the coming decades.

Mark Shannon, Paul Bohn, Menachem Elimelech … (2008)

One of the most pervasive problems afflicting people throughout the world is inadequate access to clean water and sanitation. Problems with water are expected to grow worse in the coming decades, with water scarcity occurring globally, even in regions currently considered water-rich. Addressing these problems calls out for a tremendous amount of research to be conducted to identify robust new methods of purifying water at lower cost and with less energy, while at the same time minimizing the use of chemicals and impact on the environment. Here we highlight some of the science and technology being developed to improve the disinfection and decontamination of water, as well as efforts to increase water supplies through the safe re-use of wastewater and efficient desalination of sea and brackish water.

0 comments Cited 807 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

The future of seawater desalination: energy, technology, and the environment.

Menachem Elimelech, William Phillip (2011)

In recent years, numerous large-scale seawater desalination plants have been built in water-stressed countries to augment available water resources, and construction of new desalination plants is expected to increase in the near future. Despite major advancements in desalination technologies, seawater desalination is still more energy intensive compared to conventional technologies for the treatment of fresh water. There are also concerns about the potential environmental impacts of large-scale seawater desalination plants. Here, we review the possible reductions in energy demand by state-of-the-art seawater desalination technologies, the potential role of advanced materials and innovative technologies in improving performance, and the sustainability of desalination as a technological solution to global water shortages.