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Turning Fruit Wastes like coconut husks and orange peels into Solar Desalination Solution

Date:24 Mar 2023

Country: Singapore

Plant Name:

    Fruits

Residue Name:

    Peels

    Shells/Husk

End Products

Biomaterials

MXene Materials

Application

  • Water Purification: Uses MXene from fruit waste in solar stills for efficient water desalination.

Description

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a method to convert fruit waste, like coconut husks and orange peels, into MXene materials for solar desalination. These MXenes, with high light-to-heat conversion efficiency, are used in solar stills to purify water. The process reduces material costs and improves water production rates by 50%. The resulting purified water meets WHO drinking standards, making it a sustainable solution for clean water in remote areas.

Pathway Description:

The process involves converting fruit waste, such as coconut husks and orange peels, into MXene materials through a two-step carbonization process. These MXenes are then used as solar absorbers in solar stills, which capture solar energy and convert it into heat for water desalination. The resulting solar still prototype significantly improves water production rates. This method is cost-effective and uses organic waste to produce valuable materials for water purification.

Source: Know More...

Tags: MXene TechnologySolar DesalinationSustainable Water Purification

End Products

Biomaterials

MXene Materials

Feedstock

Types of Feedstock

Secondary agricultural residue

Name

Coconut husk,Orange peels

Form

Organic fibrous material

Commercials

Abundant byproduct from the fruit juicing industry

Logistics

Collected from fruit processing sectors; transported to material innovation facilities

Characteristics

Rich in carbon making it suitable for conversion into high-performance materials like MXene

Pathways

Chemical

Carbonization

Stakeholders

Educational Institution

National Institute of Education,Nanyang Technological University (NTU)