[ECO]Recycled Tires Power Solar Device for Clean Water and Pollution Control

[Eco 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Researchers have developed a solar desalination device made from recycled tires, tackling two global challenges: tire waste pollution and water scarcity.

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada have developed a pioneering solution to combat global waste tire pollution while improving access to

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

. Their innovative floating device uses recycled tire materials to purify seawater and brackish water via solar desalination. The system, which also offers potential for small-scale electricity generation, represents a sustainable breakthrough addressing two major environmental and humanitarian challenges.

Globally, an estimated four billion tires sit idle in landfills and junkyards, leaching harmful chemicals and microplastics into ecosystems. As these materials degrade, they contaminate soil, water, and marine life. The urgent need for sustainable recycling has driven efforts to repurpose waste innovatively to recycled tires. The Dalhousie team’s solution leverages discarded tires to create a highly efficient and cost-effective desalination device, reducing environmental hazards while addressing water scarcity.

The device is a modern iteration of a solar still, which uses solar energy to evaporate water, leaving impurities behind. The purified water vapor condenses on a cool surface and is collected as clean water. This low-cost design incorporates waste tires as its core material.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Recycled tires may soon be used to make clean water instead of slowly degrading in a landfill. Photo by omid roshan on Unsplash

The researchers recycled tires into fine carbon char by heating shredded tire crumbs to 500°C in an oxygen-free environment. The char was combined with titanium dioxide to form titanium carbide nanoparticles, which are particularly effective at converting sunlight into heat. These nanoparticles were applied to a piece of foam, which was then enclosed beneath a transparent plastic dome to form the solar still.

Floating on water, the device wicks liquid into the foam, where the heat generated by the nanoparticles promotes evaporation. The purified vapor condenses on the inner surface of the dome and trickles into a collection bag.

Unlike many laboratory-bound desalination prototypes, the

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

underwent rigorous field testing. Researchers deployed it on the Atlantic Ocean near Halifax Harbor for five days. The device achieved a solar energy conversion efficiency of 40%, producing 3.67 liters of water per square meter daily at a cost of $0.86 per liter.

Beyond clean water, the team envisions the device generating small amounts of electricity through the thermoelectric effect. This power could sustain water quality sensors, offering a dual-purpose function in off-grid areas. Further testing is planned in South Asia next summer, where water scarcity and high solar irradiance provide ideal conditions for evaluating the technology’s potential.

The repurposing of recycled tires into desalination devices offers significant environmental benefits. It provides a viable alternative to tire incineration, which releases toxic pollutants, and landfilling, which contributes to long-term contamination. By diverting tires from these harmful endpoints, the device reduces the ecological burden of tire waste while simultaneously addressing the pressing need for clean water.

Moreover, the material innovation showcases a scalable path for upcycling other types of non-biodegradable waste, emphasizing the broader environmental advantages of rethinking waste management strategies.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

affects over 2 billion people worldwide, with particularly acute challenges in arid regions, low-income areas, and disaster zones. In South Asia, for instance, many rural communities depend on saline groundwater, which is unsuitable for drinking. Implementing a low-cost, solar-powered desalination solution in these regions could dramatically improve access to clean water and reduce health risks associated with unsafe water consumption.

A compatible application of recycled tires could be made in sub-Saharan Africa, where limited infrastructure and increasing droughts compound the water crisis. By integrating the device into local water systems, vulnerable populations can gain access to a sustainable, decentralized, clean water source.

This innovation addresses two pressing global issues: tire waste and clean water access. By transforming discarded materials into a

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, the Dalhousie researchers highlight the potential of resourceful, environmentally friendly design. While further testing and scaling are necessary, the device offers a promising blueprint for addressing global water scarcity and environmental degradation.

The post

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

appeared first on

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up