Solar Still Made of Old Tires Purifies Water at Less Than 1c/Liter

Canadian scientists have developed an innovative device that can purify a gallon of water per day for just a few cents. Even better, this sustainable purifier is made from recycled tires and can also generate small amounts of electricity.

Innovative Solar Still Turns Undrinkable Water into Safe Drinking Water

While Earth has abundant water, much of it is undrinkable. Oceans contain too much salt, and many rivers and lakes are too polluted to safely consume.

This new device, created by researchers at Dalhousie University, could help address this issue by producing safe drinking water affordably. Its design is simple yet effective: a floating solar still absorbs water from below, heats it with solar energy, and condenses the purified water on a dome, directing it into a collection bag.

The device has proven successful in real-world testing, generating up to 3.67 liters (15.5 cups) of fresh water daily per square meter of material—about 1.5 times what the average person needs. To support larger communities, the system could be scaled up by creating bigger stills or deploying multiple units.

Repurposed Tires Enable Affordable Water Purification

Cost-effectiveness is a key advantage, with production costs at just 0.86 cents per liter. Unlike other similar devices that rely on expensive materials like gold or silver, this purifier uses old tires, keeping costs low while reducing landfill waste.

Through pyrolysis—a process that heats tires without oxygen—the rubber is converted into carbon-rich char, which is then combined with plasmonic titanium carbides. This combination captures sunlight and generates the heat necessary to evaporate the water. A thin layer of this material is applied on top of a foam that floats beneath the dome.

In addition to purifying water, the solar still can also be adapted to produce small amounts of electricity through the thermoelectric effect. While not a significant power source, this energy could run small sensors to monitor H2O quality.

Affordable Solar Still Offers a Practical Solution for Remote and Developing Areas

Many solar stills exist today, including those that extract water from the air or float on water surfaces. While some of these models may be more efficient, this new device stands out for its low cost, which is crucial for developing countries and remote locations where affordable solutions are most needed.

“We shouldn’t be making an expensive or overly complex device,” explains Dr. Mita Dasog, co-lead author of the study. “It needs to be simple to produce, durable, and easy to assemble and transport.”

To top it off, this may be the first water purifier that can also produce electricity as an added benefit.

Read Original Article On: New Atlas

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