New Spongy Material Harvests Drinkable Water from Air in Emergency Situations

One of the major challenges in disaster relief is ensuring the availability of clean drinking water for those affected. Researchers from RMIT University in Australia, along with five Chinese institutes, have developed a clever and simple solution: a device that extracts potable water from the air.

Innovative Material for Water Extraction

The team created an innovation that utilizes a newly developed composite material made from lightweight, porous balsa wood, which they shape into small cubes. They place these cubes in a cup with a domed lid, a basic cooling mechanism, and a solar-powered activation system.

Researchers enhanced the spongy material, named WLG-15, with lithium chloride to boost water absorption and iron oxide nanoparticles that help the sponge absorb sunlight and turn the moisture into vapor.These nanoparticles also assist in releasing the water from the material.

The device operates simply: when the lid is open, the WLG-15 material absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. When the lid closes under sunlight, the material releases water into the cup.he domed lid triggers solar evaporation and helps collect the released water, while a cooling system—comprising a heat sink, cooling plate, and fan powered by solar energy—supports condensation within the device.

Impressive Efficiency in Lab Conditions

In lab conditions, the device absorbed about 2 milliliters of water per gram of WLG-15 material at 90% relative humidity, releasing nearly all of it within 10 hours of exposure to sunlight. Although this amount may seem modest, the material’s small size and light weight suggest that larger configurations or multiple devices could yield more water.

For context, nine small sponge cubes (each weighing less than a gram) can produce about 15 milliliters of water. The researchers published their findings in the Journal of Cleaner Production in March.

The team claims that this method is more efficient than existing techniques like fog harvesting and radiative cooling and is less costly, thanks to the use of readily available and inexpensive balsa wood. In larger systems, it could potentially serve as a portable water harvesting solution for emergency situations in disaster-stricken areas, with solar energy powering the cooling process.

Durability and Reusability in Harsh Conditions

Dr. Junfeng Hou from Zhejiang A&F University, who collaborated with RMIT’s team, emphasized that WLG-15 retains its functionality even after storage in sub-zero temperatures for weeks. It can be reused multiple times without a significant drop in efficiency, making it suitable for real-world applications like water collection in remote or arid areas.

While you might have encountered commercially available atmospheric water generators (AWGs), which promise faster and larger-scale water extraction, they rely on significant electricity to condense water from the airIn many water-scarce regions, limited access to a stable electricity supply makes it challenging to power these machines.Though solar-powered AWGs exist, they come with higher costs and complexities.

Additionally, AWGs are most effective in areas with over 60% humidity, which may not be the case in many water-deprived regions. Furthermore, these systems are expensive to purchase and maintain, requiring specialized expertise and custom parts. As a result, while AWGs may work, they may not be practical for widespread use in areas with limited resources.

In contrast, the researchers have utilized AI to predict the performance of their device under various environmental conditions, and this technology could help them develop more efficient water-harvesting materials. The team is now working to partner with industry players for pilot production and field testing of the material.

RMIT University recently developed a super-strong material based on sea sponges, which could be used to build more durable structures.

Read the original article on: New Atas

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