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Carbonized tofu as photothermal material for highly efficient solar steam generation
Author(s) -
Zhou Xu,
Li Jiyan,
Liu Chao,
Wang Fei,
Chen Hui,
Zhao Chunxu,
Sun Hanxue,
Zhu Zhaoqi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.5603
Subject(s) - desalination , materials science , solar energy , carbonization , photothermal therapy , chemical engineering , fabrication , solar still , energy conversion efficiency , process engineering , pulp and paper industry , waste management , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , optoelectronics , scanning electron microscope , engineering , medicine , ecology , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , membrane , biology
Summary The invention of solar steam generation has high energy conversion efficiency and long‐term service cycle, which is crucial for the actual desalination and sewage treatment. Herein, we first time report the fabrication of low‐price, long‐lasting, and durable‐based carbonized tofu (CT) as photothermal materials for highly efficient solar steam generation. On account of super‐hydrophilic wettability and abundant pore, CT shows good performance in transporting water rapidly, combined with its many characteristics such as high light absorption (90%), low heat conductivity (0.093 W m −1 K −1 ). CT fulfills a high rate of evaporation (1.65 kg m −2 h −1 ) and conversion efficiency of 87.26% under 1 sun irradiation. Importantly, after 25 days of salt tolerance test, although CT has crystallization on the surface, but can be reused after soaking in water. CT demonstrated excellent salt tolerance and robustness, which shows immeasurable application potential in seawater desalination and wastewater treatment.