Parametric study of the sweating step in the seawater desalination process by indirect freezing Original Research Article

In the process of desalination by indirect freezing, ice formed on the cooled surface contains impurities due to kinetic effects. Sweating is an efficient method by which ice layer is purified under the effect of temperature gradient. The main kinetic parameters influencing sweating of ice are initial concentration of ice, sweating temperature and sweating time. In the present work, the effects of these parameters were studied using an experimental design. A statistical model for ice weight and ice purity was developed. The graphical representation of this model in the space of the variables enabled optimization of the whole desalination process time, which led to ice salinity less than the drinking water standards (0.5 g/kg).