Membrane distillation (MD) is a versatile low-temperature separation process used for desalinating saline solutions with high salt rejection rates. Its current drawbacks include low flux and high energy demand. This study presents localized electrically induced heating using ceramic-coated metallic spacers to improve MD performance. We coated Ni-Cr spacers with MgO via electrolytic deposition and calcination, optimizing for a crack-free protective surface. Smaller wire diameter Ni-Cr exhibited superior heating. When a periodic current of 0.2 A cm⁻² was applied, permeate flux increased by 15% although energy consumption only increased by 4%. Continuous supply of high-grade electrical energy added no further performance improvement as compared to periodic application. Our work highlights a spacer-based approach for localized Joule heating in MD systems without compromising membrane structure, while exploring coating systems to protect conductive spacers and optimizing schemes for electrically controlled performance.

膜蒸馏 (MD) 是一种多功能低温分离工艺，用于以高脱盐率对盐溶液进行脱盐。它目前的缺点包括通量低和能源需求高。这项研究提出了使用陶瓷涂层金属垫片进行局部电感应加热来提高MD性能。我们通过电解沉积和煅烧在镍铬垫片上涂上氧化镁，优化无裂纹的保护表面。较小的线径 Ni-Cr 表现出优异的加热性能。当施加0.2 A cm ⁻² 的周期电流时，虽然能耗仅增加4%，但产水通量增加了15%。与定期应用相比，持续供应高品质电能并没有进一步提高性能。我们的工作重点介绍了一种基于垫片的方法，用于在 MD 系统中进行局部焦耳加热，而不影响膜结构，同时探索涂层系统以保护导电垫片并优化电控性能方案。