journal article·2020-12

Multifunctional nanocoated membranes for high-rate electrothermal desalination of hypersaline waters

Kuichang Zuo, Weipeng Wang, Akshay Deshmukh, Shuai Jia, Hua Guo, Ruikun Xin, Menachem Elimelech, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Jun Lou, Qilin Li

Nature Nanotechnology· Volume 15· Issue 12
Publisher page

Abstract

Surface heating membrane distillation overcomes several limitations inherent in conventional membrane distillation technology. Here we report a successful effort to grow in situ a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanocoating on a stainless-steel wire cloth (hBN-SSWC), and its application as a scalable electrothermal heating material in surface heating membrane distillation. The novel hBN-SSWC provides superior vapour permeability, thermal conductivity, electrical insulation and anticorrosion properties, all of which are critical for the long-term surface heating membrane distillation performance, particularly with hypersaline solutions. By simply attaching hBN-SSWC to a commercial membrane and providing power with an a.c. supply at household frequency, we demonstrate that hBN-SSWC is able to support an ultrahigh power intensity (50 kW m-2) to desalinate hypersaline solutions with exceptionally high water flux (and throughput), single-pass water recovery and heat utilization efficiency while maintaining excellent material stability. We also demonstrate the exceptional performance of hBN-SSWC in a scalable and compact spiral-wound electrothermal membrane distillation module.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Membrane Separation Technologies · Solar-Powered Water Purification Methods · Membrane-based Ion Separation Techniques

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