1. A team led by Professor Yongwon Seo at UNIST has developed a highly efficient hydrate-based desalination (HBD) method for seawater, which is eco-friendly and low-energy.
2. The method uses cyclopentane to create cyclopentane hydrate from brine, expelling impurities and yielding clean water; the team measured the hydrate’s thermodynamic properties for application in desalination.
3. The researchers calculated the maximum water yield and thermal energy efficiency for different brine concentrations and created a relational equation to determine the optimal temperatures for desalination efficiency.
4. Applying the technique to brine with initial salt concentrations of 3.5 wt% and 5 wt% resulted in maximum water yields of 67% and 61.1%, respectively, with corresponding energy efficiency optimum temperatures of 273.4 K and 271.5 K.
5. The study was a collaboration with KITECH and supported by KETEP, MOTIE, NRF, and others; findings were published in the November 2023 issue of Water Research.
