Ein schwimmender Solardestillierapparat, der sowohl Wasser entsalzen als auch Thermoelektrizität erzeugen kann, könnte zur Bekämpfung der Wasserknappheit in Entwicklungsländern oder abgelegenen Gebieten beitragen | Schwimmender Solardestillierapparat auf Basis von feuerfestem, plasmonischem Material zur gleichzeitigen Entsalzung und Stromerzeugung

From the university press release:

>There are plenty of factors that make the Dal team’s device unique, but key among them is that its design centres around a far humbler component than competing devices made with precious metals. The secret ingredient: used tires.
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>The idea for the solar still stemmed from refractory plasmonics, a field that aims to develop thermally and chemically stable nanomaterials that can manipulate light in special ways under harsh conditions.
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>“Refractory plasmonic nanomaterials are very good at capturing light and converting that light into heat,” says Dr. Mita Dasog, an associate professor of chemistry and Killam Memorial Chair whose research group explores potential applications of this technology.
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>…
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>The most commonly-used plasmonic materials are precious metals like gold and silver, which are high-performing but expensive. For the solar still to be widely used in developing countries, it would need to be made with earth-abundant materials that would not compromise performance.
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>“We shouldn’t be making an expensive or very complicated device,” says Dr. Dasog. “It has to be easy to manufacture, last for a long time, and be easy to take apart and move.”
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>A process known as pyrolysis, which involves heating carbon waste at high temperatures without oxygen, produces pyrolytic char that can be incorporated into plasmonic titanium carbides, effectively replacing expensive precious metals. In the floating desalination unit, a paper-thin layer of this material sits on the device’s foam surface, keeping it away from cold ocean water and helping maximize heat localization.
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>Different types of carbon waste were sourced and tested, including coffee grounds, lobster shells, and birch wood residue, with tire rubber emerging as the best performer, as detailed in another recent research paper.
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>Given that tires are non-biodegradable, take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills, and are in abundant supply around the world, they represent a unique upcycling opportunity.

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Journal link: [Refractory plasmonic material based floating solar still for simultaneous desalination and electricity generation](https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(24)02450-7)

Summary:

>Floating interfacial solar evaporation offers a land-saving, eco-friendly, and low-infrastructure alternative for freshwater production. However, challenges include maximizing heat localization, preventing salt accumulation, and operating under harsh environmental conditions. This work demonstrates a plasmonic titanium carbide (TiC) nanoparticle (NP)-based floating solar desalination system that produces clean water using sunlight on saline water sources. The components of the floating still were carefully chosen to optimize freshwater output, with TiC produced by upcycling tire waste. Outdoor experiments in Halifax, Canada, where solar insolation reached around 6 kW m−2 day−1, resulted in daily water yields of up to 3.67 L m−2, corresponding to a solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 40%. Water can be produced at a cost of $0.0086 L−1, and the still can be modified to generate thermoelectricity, enabling small onboard devices to test water quality without external electricity. This study contributes to the development of scalable floating solar desalination systems, providing potable water for water-stressed communities.

edit: formatting