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Research conducted at the University of California, Riverside, indicates that deep ultraviolet light combined with ceramic material can enhance saltwater evaporation without extreme heat, creating a new frontier for reducing desalination energy consumption and increasing interest in solar-powered systems.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, in the United States, have demonstrated in the laboratory a technique that uses deep ultraviolet light and an aluminum nitride ceramic wick to increase saltwater evaporation without needing to heat the entire liquid mass during the process.
Published in the scientific journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the study investigates an experimental alternative to reduce the energy consumption of desalination, a sector that still faces limitations related to high operational costs, necessary infrastructure, and environmentally controlled disposal of concentrated brine.
Ultraviolet light changes traditional desalination approach
Leading the research is Luat Vuong, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UC Riverside, who analyzed how specific frequencies of light can interact with saltwater differently from industrial systems that rely almost exclusively on heat or high pressure.
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While conventional thermal methods require intense heating to evaporate water and then condense it into potable form, reverse osmosis systems use high-pressure pumps to force the liquid through membranes capable of retaining dissolved salts and impurities.
Instead of following these traditional paths, the Californian team opted for a combination of high-frequency light, invisible to the human eye, and a white ceramic material known for its thermal stability and structural resistance observed in industrial and laboratory applications.
Aluminum nitride was used in laboratory tests
During the experiments, scientists produced wicks made of aluminum nitride and positioned them in a closed chamber, where different lighting conditions were compared to measure the response of saltwater under varied wavelengths and levels of light exposure.
When the samples were subjected to violet light, evaporation significantly increased compared to environments kept in the dark or exposed to frequencies such as red, yellow, and infrared, according to results released by the North American university itself.
According to the researchers, the observed behavior suggests a possible selective action of light on the bonds between dissolved salt and water molecules, a hypothesis that expands scientific interest in mechanisms not solely dependent on traditional heating.
Research aims to reduce energy consumption of freshwater plants
Most current solar desalination technologies work by absorbing heat through dark materials, which are responsible for raising the water temperature until steam is generated, a process that often causes energy losses by heating the entire system structure.
In the approach studied by UC Riverside, the goal is to direct light energy to specific interactions of the saline mixture, without requiring the liquid to reach extreme temperatures to initiate the separation between water and salt during evaporation.
According to the university, aluminum nitride possesses characteristics considered important for future water-related applications, including durability, chemical stability, affinity with liquids, and a relatively accessible cost compared to more complex materials used in advanced research.
Furthermore, the researchers highlight that the choice of material can facilitate future manufacturing steps and integration into larger systems, a factor often cited as decisive for transforming laboratory advancements into technically viable solutions outside the academic environment.
Technology does not yet replace commercial desalination systems
Despite the repercussions generated by the study, the university emphasizes that the research remains at an experimental stage and does not represent a technology ready to replace reverse osmosis plants or thermal plants already used on a large scale around the world.
At this moment, the main advance lies in the demonstration of the mechanism observed in the laboratory, considered by the authors as a new possibility to guide studies on more efficient solar desalination and less dependent on intense heat or high mechanical pressure.
Parallel to the initial tests, the team reported that they are working on the development of new system architectures, manufacturing processes, and analytical tools capable of better understanding how to enhance evaporation induced by the action of deep ultraviolet light.
Interest in alternatives to traditional desalination grows
In recent years, desalination has gained importance in coastal regions affected by prolonged droughts, accelerated urban growth, and increasing pressure on natural reservoirs, although high energy consumption continues to limit the expansion of these structures in many countries.
In addition to electricity costs, traditional plants need to deal with the disposal of concentrated brine, a residue that requires constant environmental monitoring due to possible impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal areas near industrial facilities.
In this scenario, research capable of reducing heat- or pressure-intensive steps tends to attract interest from governments, private companies, and academic centers, especially when associated with the possibility of integration with systems powered by renewable solar energy.
Study broadens debate on new ways to produce potable water
Although ultraviolet light is widely known in disinfection and sterilization processes, its use to promote the separation of salt and water remains little explored in technologies specifically aimed at seawater desalination.
By focusing on microscopic interactions between light and saline mixture, the research conducted in California proposes an approach different from the logic based exclusively on mechanical force or extreme heating used in currently predominant industrial methods.
Even without presenting a ready commercial solution, the study broadens the debate on how to produce fresh water in a global context marked by increasing water stress and the search for more energy-efficient and environmentally less aggressive technologies.
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