Turning Trash into Treasure: How Biomass Can Help Solve Water Scarcity

Imagine turning plant waste into a super material that can clean water and collect salt. This isn't just a dream; it's a reality thanks to a new method called hydrothermal carbonization.

The Process and Its Benefits

This process creates a special cubic biomass material designed to handle two big problems at once:

1. Evaporates water quickly using solar power.
2. Collects salt in a controlled way.

This means we can get fresh water and valuable salt from the same process.

The Key to Success

The material's structure is crucial:

• Vertical channels help with water evaporation.
• Adjustable pore size ensures efficiency without clogging.

Test Results

• Water Evaporation: 2.64 kilograms per square meter per hour under normal sunlight.
• Solar Energy Efficiency: 96.35%.

The design, with cone-shaped and T-shaped ends, aids in salt collection, ensuring natural separation of fresh water and salt.

Simplicity and Sustainability

This method turns waste biomass into something useful. It's a big step towards solving water scarcity and making wastewater treatment more eco-friendly. Plus, it's a great way to recover valuable salt for various industries.