Nature News Features Department's Research on Desalination
Temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE)
The department's research on the desalination of hypersaline brines and zero liquid discharge has recently been featured in Nature News. With levels of saline and problematic waste brines increasing across the world, the demand for fresh water salination is becoming a massive globalized issue. The article, titled "How do you make salty water drinkable? The hunt for fresh solutions to a briny problem", outlines the technical challenges and potential resolutions for managing very high salt concentration streams.
Our research, led by Dr. Chanhee Boo, uses switchable solvents with thermo-responsive hydrophilicity as a salt-repelling "liquid sponge". This alternative method has already been successful in recovering fresh water from brine samples that are up to ten times as salty as seawater. Currently the fresh water portion is not potable but the technique shows promise. With further testing, this alternative method could aid industries seeking to recycle water from their waste brines.
The team are currently participating in a prize challenge organized by the US Department of Energy to build a small pilot that uses solar heat for the water-expelling step.
You can read more about our research in our two key papers:
A new paradigm for desalination