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

Biomass, often seen as waste, could be a game-changer in tackling 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. This process creates a special cubic biomass material. It's not just any material; it's designed to handle two big problems at once. First, it can evaporate water quickly using solar power. Second, it can collect salt in a controlled way. This means we can get fresh water and valuable salt from the same process. The key to this material's success is its structure. It has vertical channels that help with water evaporation. The size of the pores and how well they attract water can be adjusted. This balance is crucial. It ensures the material works efficiently without getting clogged by salt.Tests showed that this material can evaporate about 2. 64 kilograms of water per square meter per hour under normal sunlight. That's impressive! It also converts solar energy into useful work with an efficiency of 96. 35%. The design of the material, with cone-shaped and T-shaped ends, helps in collecting salt. This way, fresh water and salt are separated naturally, avoiding any blockages. The beauty of this method is its simplicity and sustainability. It takes waste biomass and turns it into something useful. This could be a big step towards solving water scarcity and making wastewater treatment more eco-friendly. Plus, it's a great way to recover salt, which is valuable in many industries.