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Researchers at the American University of Rochester have developed a new seawater desalination technology using solar energy, which relies on a laser-treated black metal to absorb sunlight and accelerate water evaporation.
The technology is distinguished by producing fresh water and depositing salts as solids instead of the concentrated brine left behind by traditional desalination methods, which reduces environmental damage and allows for the utilization of the extracted salts.
The technology also opens the door to recovering precious metals, most notably lithium used in electric vehicle batteries and smartphones. In experiments conducted on the Great Salt Lake in the United States, researchers were able to extract about 50% of the lithium present in it.
The research team bets that this technology will contribute to providing fresh water and transforming desalination waste into economically valuable resources, while reducing energy consumption and limiting marine pollution.
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