Low-Cost, Unsinkable, and Highly Efficient Solar Evaporators Based on Coating MWCNTs on Nonwovens with Unidirectional Water-Transfer

Abstract

Solar vapor generation technology is promising in seawater desalination, sewage purification, and other fields. However, wide application of this technology is still largely confined due to its high cost and difficulties for scalable production. In this study, an ever-floating solar evaporator is fabricated by coating multiwall carbon nanotubes on a bicomponent nonwoven composed of polypropylene/polyethylene core–sheath fibers. This all-fiber structure is highly porous and ultralight, with large specific area (for efficient water evaporation), interconnected channels (for easy vapor escape), and low thermal conductivity (to avoid heat loss). The unique unidirectional water-transfer behavior of the nonwoven enables it to spontaneously pump an adjustable amount of water for interfacial solar heating and a delicate balance between water supply and loss may accelerate the evaporation speed of water. These distinct benefits endow the solar evaporator with excellent evaporation rates of 1.44 kg m–2 h–1 under the simulated irradiation of 1 sun and 12.81 kg m–2 d–1 under natural sunlight. Moreover, the evaporator can be fabricated by using low-cost materials and industrialized methods (overall cost ≈2.4 USD m−2), making one believe its practical significance for commercial solar steam evaporation.