Recent advances in the application of magnetic/electromagnetic field for water desalination

Despite the scarcity of fresh water, humans were able to obtain more of it by desalination of saline water. Thermal desalination technologies were initially used, followed by many other processes, some of which were more developed than the others such as the reverse osmosis (RO) process. This chapter focuses on discussing the application of magnetic treatment for desalination purposes. In magnetic treatment, a magnetic field (MF) is applied to the saline water, which induces different changes in the treated water such as weakening the hydrogen bonding between the water and the dissolved ions, easing the separation process. The MF can be applied via a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. Magnetic treatment can be hybridized with other desalination processes and water treatment processes. For example, magnetic treatment can be coupled with RO, forming an enhanced RO desalination. Additionally, magnetic separation can be utilized for antiscaling treatment rather than desalination. In most of these cases, the coupling of magnetic separation improved the performance of these processes. Implementing permanent magnets in magnetic desalination is low in operating costs, however, the effectiveness of the treatment can deteriorate with time. On the other hand, electromagnetic desalination is higher in operating costs due to needing an electric supply to maintain the MF and requires cooling water to prevent the solenoid from overheating but it is more stable and effective than permanent magnets. Nonetheless, magnetic desalination can be very effective if optimized adequately.