Physical properties of hydrogel nanocomposite of ZnFe2O4/PVA:GA:AC spinel ferrite as solar energy evaporator materials for distillation water processing

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2024-11, Vol.130 (11), Article 847
• Main Authors: Fargharazi, M., Bagheri-Mohagheghi, M. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Clean energy; Condensed Matter Physics; Desalination; Dissolved solids; Distillation; Distilled water; Evaporation rate; Evaporators; Field emission microscopy; Fourier transforms; Hydrogels; Inductively coupled plasma; Infrared analysis; Infrared spectrophotometers; Infrared spectroscopy; Machines; Manufacturing; Nanocomposites; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Physical properties; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polyvinyl alcohol; Processes; Salinity; Seawater; Solar energy; Spectrum analysis; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Water purification; Zinc ferrites
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-024-08023-3

In recent years, solar evaporation desalination has been recognized as one of the most promising sustainable technologies and an efficient way to generate clean water and seawater desalination. In this paper, we introduce a three-dimensional (3D) photothermal evaporator with ZnFe 2 O 4 : Activated carbon (AC) ferrite photothermal nanocomposite including glutaraldehyde (GA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Then, physical, optical absorption, and structural properties and removal of water salinity and pollutants of ZnFe 2 O 4 /PVA:GA:AC nanocomposite were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV–Vis spectrophotometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and Total dissolved solids (TDS) analysis. Under one sun irradiation, the ZnFe 2 O 4 /PVA:GA:AC nanocomposite hydrogel can reach a record high evaporation rate of 1.80 Kgm −2 h −1 . In addition, the hydrogel micropores and nanopores channels have a higher freshwater collection rate of 1 mlh −1 with very low hardness and ion conductance from 6648 to 138 ppm and 8651 µS to 293 µS, respectively for casspian sea water. Also, ICP spectroscopy result indicated that the reduction of the concentrations of k + , Na + , Mg 2+ Hg 2+ ions after distillation for casspian sea to 0.44 ppm, 3.49 ppm 1.14 ppm and 0 ppm, which was far below the salinity level of drinkable desalinated water defined by the World Health Organization. These results demonstrate the potential of ZnFe 2 O 4 /PVA:GA:AC nanocomposite hydrogel evaporator for practical application of water purification and high surface evaporator.