A simple gel (凝胶) collects water out of thin air! This innovation works well in dry climates, promising drinking water to those living with water shortage.
The gel was invented by a team of scientists and engineers at the University of Texas. Combining two simple ingredients, the gel is inexpensive to produce. Just one kilogram of gel can absorb up to six liters of water in a dry climate. For those living in a climate with relative humidity (湿度), one kilogram of gel can collect up to 13 liters of water a day.
"This new work is about practical solutions that people can use to get water in the hottest, driest places on Earth," said Professor Guihua Yu. "This could allow millions of people without easy access to drinking water to have water producing equipment at home that they can easily operate."
Countries are currently using available bodies of water to create drinking water, according to the study. These include removing salt from ocean water and using water purification technologies. Yet there are plenty of small water drops in the atmosp here that can be harnessed as a reliable resource.
Researchers have collected fresh water from fog and dew (露水), but that only serves areas with high humidity. With one third of the population living in dry places with very low humidity, a workable solution is of great importance. Scientists have been able to obtain water from desert air, but these methods have low yields (产量) and use lots of energy. In fact, this gel is a great improvement from previous water harvesting technologies. The maximum water harvested has been 5. 87 liters in places with relative humidity.
This new gel doubles this amount, uses no energy and is simple to operate and it can be molded into a shape or size that best suits the user. Scientists are planning on making a thicker gel that will increase the yield, which is most important in making this technology a practical solution to drought (干旱). Easy-to-use and inexpensive, the hope is that this super gel will offer access to clean drinking water to dry places around the world.
