## 4 Conclusions  
The ASE&C technology can treat brackish water and seawater, including their brine waste from RO desalination, with complete separation of water as distilled water and crystallized salts (humidity \(<\) 1%), using very little energy (0-20 kWh/m\({}^{3}\)). This study presents the results of the efficiency of separation in terms of physicochemical analysis. Laboratory results showed that the two byproducts derived (freshwater and crystallized salts) have commercial potential, and point to a paradigm shift in desalination processes, because of the zero-brine discharge converted to commercial salts, the implementation of the circular economy, and the avoidance of environmental concerns related to brine discharge back into the ocean.  
The preliminary results demonstrated that the technology can be adapted successfully to different types of fluids with a wide range of electrical conductivity. Thus, the ASE&C technology coupled with the existing RO treatment plants might help to solve environmental problems associated with brine discharges, but it also supposes an alternative method of producing raw materials for brine mining. Annual economic estimations based on the studied samples were calculated: they averaged EUR 6.5 million when ASE&C is coupled with a seawater RO desalination plant (Na recovery was the greatest contributor, followed by Li). Other brine recoveries provided greater variable benefits (average benefits of EUR 4 million, and maximum benefits of EUR 11 million) due to composition disparity, with important recovery of Ga, Mg, and Na.  
The innovative ASE&C technology transforms brines and improves water solutions to help reduce costs and waste volume, while increasing byproduct values with a low carbon footprint.  
Conceptualization, E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; methodology: E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; software: E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; validation: all authors; formal analysis: E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; investigation: E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; resources: all authors; data curation: E.B., S.V. and T.A.D.; writing--original draft preparation, E.B. and T.A.D.; writing--review and editing, all authors; visualization, E.B., supervision: S.V. and T.A.D.; project administration, S.V. and T.A.D.; funding acquisition, S.V. and T.A.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by ASEC Grant #190180588 through the EU's EIC/Accelerator Horizon Europe 2022 call.  
Not applicable.  
Data Availability Statement: Data are contained within the article.  
The authors thank the Water Challenge S.L. technical team for all the activities conducted during the study in the ASEC plant, and the technical and laboratory staff of the ICMAN-CSIC.  
The authors declare that this study received funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC). The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. Authors [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] were employed by the company Water Challenge S.L. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.