New York, June 3 (SANA) Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a solar-powered desalination panel that produces fresh water while extracting lithium from seawater, according to studies published in Light: Science and Applications and the Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
The system uses a laser-etched metal panel to desalinate seawater using sunlight alone, without chemical additives or liquid waste discharge. Researchers said it removes nearly all salts in solid form and can be modified to recover lithium from the collected salts.
Tests using Great Salt Lake water samples showed the technology extracted about 50% of available lithium through hydrogen titanate nanoparticles embedded in the panel’s micro-grooves.
The lithium recovery process operates alongside desalination, enabling fresh water production and lithium extraction from the same solar energy source.
The technology remains at the proof-of-concept stage. The panels were tested continuously for seven days using water samples from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but researchers said further work is needed before commercial deployment.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Worldwide Universities Network.
According to the International Energy Agency’s 2024 Critical Minerals Outlook, global lithium demand could increase sixfold by 2040 under accelerated clean energy transition scenarios.
M.F / ABD
