Adsorbent composite materials using inorganic salts and their blends for adsorption-based desalination systems

Global water scarcity is intensifying due to the combined pressures of climate change, population growth, and rapid urbanization. Desalination has become an essential strategy to address this challenge. Among emerging technologies, adsorption desalination (AD) has attracted increasing interest as a sustainable alternative, owing to its ability to utilize low-grade or renewable heat sources, co-produce fresh water and cooling, operate with low complexity, require minimal maintenance, and adapt to a wide range of feedwater qualities. The efficiency of AD systems is highly dependent on the sorption performance of the adsorbent materials used, especially under low-temperature conditions. This study explores novel composite adsorbents composed of porous matrix materials embedded with hygroscopic chloride salts - LiCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, and their binary blends - with the aim of enhancing both water uptake performance and material stability. Preliminary results, including textural properties, morphological analyses, and adsorption behavior, are presented. Notably, the CaCl2-based composite demonstrated a desalination capacity of 75.6 m3 ton-1 day-1, a significant and promising result that underscores the potential of adsorption desalination to overcome limitations associated with conventional technologies.