Solar foam keeps fresh water flowing after sunset
Researchers from Ocean University of China and Huzhou University developed a solar-powered evaporator that can continue producing freshwater even after sunset, achieving an evaporation rate of 1.862 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under one sun and 0.684 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ after the light source was removed. The device, named PPy-CS/PF@DDA, showed stable performance in repeated light-dark cycling and reduced major seawater ions to levels compliant with World Health Organization drinking water standards.
A team of researchers from Ocean University of China and Huzhou University has developed a solar-powered evaporator that can produce freshwater continuously, even in fluctuating light conditions. The device, named PPy-CS/PF@DDA, is built by confining dodecylamine inside a polypyrrole-coated chitosan/phenolic resin foam. It achieved an evaporation rate of 1.862 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under one sun and maintained 0.684 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ after the light source was removed. The system showed stable performance in 20 wt% sodium chloride solution without salt accumulation and reduced major seawater ions to levels compliant with World Health Organization drinking water standards. In outdoor tests, it produced 9.229 kg m⁻² of freshwater over 10 hours. The material cost is reported to be $0.54 m⁻², suggesting potential for scale-up.
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