Brine Valorization
Brine management is often the cost-limiting factor for implementing inland brackish groundwater desalination plants. However, the brine from these plants contains elevated concentrations of mineral compounds that can be recovered for a variety of uses. Our role in this on-going collaboration is to work with stakeholders to understand real-world constraints for brine generators, validate assumptions with identified product markets, and explore emerging opportunities for brine valorization.
Salt Harvesting
Through our systematic characterization of the advantages of a three-dimensional interfacial solar evaporator, we found that these materials were uniquely well-suited for the passive separation of dissolved salts from water. While further research is necessary to validate these findings, this proof-of-concept demonstrates potential for mineral recovery—especially for highly soluble salts.