Synthesis and application of date palm leaflets derived activated carbon in flow electrode capacitive deionization system for brackish water desalination

The life cycle assessment of materials, equipment, and processes is a crucial environmental concern. Recycling unused parts or so-called biowaste from the date palm tree is an essential process in this region. Apart from that, water treatment is one of the most global challenges due to the increase in population demand for more fresh water. The over-extraction of groundwater disturbs the environment. Several approaches have been made to solve these problems by applying various technologies a few decades ago. Capacitive deionization (CDI) is one of the most promising technologies to overcome this problem. CDI is simple, cost-effective for low salinity, modular, and portable. This project intends to develop activated carbon material derived from date palm leaflets and use it as electrodes in a flow capacitive deionization (FCDI) system. This technology has many advantages over conventional CDI. FCDI has low power consumption, high desalination efficiency, and is easy to use. The outcome of this project will enable the upscaling of lab-scale CDI to large-scale FCDI for households and industrial use.