Researchers have developed a new way to supply fresh water using cheap minerals

Scientists at the University of South Australia (UniSA) have made a breakthrough in seawater desalination technology that could alleviate the global water crisis. This innovative method, by significantly increasing the rate of evaporation of seawater, is considered as a big step towards providing fresh water for billions of people around the world.

According to the scientific news department of Tekna Technology Media, the lack of fresh water is one of the biggest challenges of this century. With the increase in population and climate change, the demand for fresh water is increasing and the existing water resources are under severe pressure. Desalination of sea water has been proposed as one of the main solutions to deal with this crisis. However, traditional desalination methods are energy-intensive and costly, and have significant environmental impacts.

According to Tekna technology news service, UniSA researchers have created a photothermal hydrogel using cheap and common minerals such as halloysite, bentonite, zeolite and montmorillonite nanotubes, along with carbon nanotubes and sodium alginate. This hydrogel is able to significantly increase the rate of evaporation of sea water. In fact, this new method has been able to increase the evaporation rate of sea water by 18.8% more than pure water.

The key to this success lies in the ion exchange process between minerals and seawater. Minerals selectively absorb magnesium and calcium ions from seawater and transfer them to the evaporation surface. This causes the sea water to evaporate faster. This method significantly increases the rate of evaporation of seawater and, as a result, makes it possible to produce more fresh water. Also, the materials used in this method are cheap and abundant. On the other hand, this method is low consumption and has minimal environmental impact. The hydrogel used in this method maintains its function even after being exposed to sea water for months.

This new achievement could revolutionize the desalination industry and help many arid and water-scarce regions of the world gain access to fresh water. Researchers are investigating ways to further improve this technology and expand its use on a large scale. The discovery of this innovative method for desalination of sea water promises a bright future to deal with the global water crisis. Using this technology, it is possible to significantly increase the production of fresh water and, as a result, help improve the quality of life of billions of people.
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