Unlocking Zero Liquid Discharge: A Parallel Water Supply Strategy to Realize Selective Salt Crystallization for Long‐Term Interfacial Solar Evaporation

Abstract Interfacial solar evaporation offers a green and sustainable solution to solve clean water shortages via solar‐driven desalination. However, salt crystallization and accumulation on solar evaporators have become the primary hindrances to the long‐term practical application of interfacial solar evaporation technology. To tackle this challenge, a photothermal evaporator with a novel parallel two‐water paths strategy is developed in this study. Unlike the conventional one‐way water path, which generally leads to salt accumulation at the water supply end on the evaporation surfaces, thereby limiting the lifespan of the evaporator and compromising solar evaporation performance, here, with the second…

• AN
  Australian National Fabrication Facility
• UO
  University of South Australia
• AR
  Australian Research Council

  Awards: DP240101581, DP220100583, FT190100485
• FI
  Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia