Pistia-Inspired Photothermal Fabric based on Waste Carbon Fiber for Low-Cost Vapor Generation: An Industrialization Route

The industrial production of solar-steaming materials is an essential part of the wide promotion of solar-driven desalination technology. However, balancing the cost and freshwater yield constitutes a constant challenge. To solve these problems, discrete waste carbon fibers are assembled into an extensible and compressible yarn and further prepared for a fabric evaporator to achieve solar steam generation by two main textile technologies: blended yarn spinning and multibeam weaving. To improve the evaporation efficiency of the photothermal device, a bionic fabric structure resembling the aquatic plant Pistia is designed to reduce heat loss and increase material utilization. Assisted by the porous structure and gradient capillary effect of the evaporator, the performance is maximized by setting the photothermal part 3.2 cm above the water, improving evaporation efficiency from 52.70% in the original state to 88.70% under one sun (1 kW m(-2)). Combined with the low-cost of waste carbon fiber and mature textile technologies, the overall raw material cost of the device is reduced to USD 3.54 per m(2), which is anticipated that this study offers new possibilities for a cost-effective, industrialized solar-driven steam generation route.

Automated summary

The industrial production of solar-steaming materials is crucial for the widespread adoption of solar-driven desalination technology. This study proposes a method using waste carbon fibers to create an extensible and compressible yarn, which is then used to make a fabric evaporator through blended yarn spinning and multibeam weaving. To improve evaporation efficiency, a bionic fabric structure inspired by Pistia, an aquatic plant, is designed. By setting the photothermal part 3.2 cm above the water, the evaporation efficiency is significantly improved. Combining low-cost waste carbon fiber and mature textile technologies, this study offers a cost-effective and industrialized route for solar-driven steam generation.