More than a third of the world's population lives in dry lands, areas that experience significant water shortages. Engineers and scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a unique solution to help people in these areas access clean drinking water.
They developed a low-cost gel film(凝胶膜) that can pull water from the air in even the driest climate. Combining two simple ingredients, cellulose and konjac gum, 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, one kilogram of gel can collect up to 13 liters of water a day. As the gel is so inexpensive and easy to make, it may offer a way of providing drinking water to countries with water shortages.
Previously, researchers have harvested fresh water from fog and dew, but that only serves areas with high humidity. Other attempts at pulling water from desert air are typically energy-intensive and do not produce much. In fact, this gel is a vast 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.
"This new work is about practical solutions that people can use to get water in the hottest, driestplaces on Earth," said Guihua Yu, professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering." This could allow millions of people without consistent access to drinking water to have simple, water generating devices at home that they can easily operate."
"This is not something you need an advanced degree to use," the paper's lead author, Youhong "Nancy" Guo said." It's straightforward enough that anyone can make it at home if they have thematerials." Scientists are planning on making a thicker gel that will increase the yield, making this technology a practicable solution to drought.
