In a world where one-third of people don’t have access to safe drinking water, researchers at the University of Texas-Austin have developed an innovative solution to convert daily biomass (from food debris to shells) into The material atmosphere of clean drinking water can be extracted directly from the material.
The new system researchers call “molecularly functionalized biomass hydrogels” can also produce nearly four gallons of clean water per kilogram of material per kilogram of material every day, even under relatively dry conditions – more than conventional water-collecting techniques Significant improvement.
“Through this breakthrough, we have developed a universal molecular engineering strategy that can transform a variety of natural materials into efficient adsorbents,” said Guihua Yu, professor of materials science and mechanical engineering at UT Austin. “This is for thinking about sustainable water.” The way of collecting opens a whole new way, which marks an important step towards a practical collection system on the scale of homes and small communities.”
The study, published February 13 in the journal Advanced Materials, represents a potential solution to one of the most pressing challenges of human beings – the reliable use of clean drinking water – using materials that would otherwise be wasted.
From waste to water
At the heart of the technology is a two-step process that converts natural polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates found in plant and animal materials) into specialized hydrogels that absorb moisture from the air and then release it into clean water when heated .
The system works with how silicon dioxide gel data packets prevent moisture damage in packaging products, but are significantly more efficient, using natural materials instead of synthetic materials.
In their field tests, the researchers achieved impressive results: One kilogram of material per day can produce up to 14.19 liters (3.75 gallons) of water per day. Most comparable technologies usually range from 1 to 5 liters per kilogram per day.
What makes this approach particularly promising is its versatility. The researchers successfully demonstrated the technology of using cellulose (in the plant cell wall), starch (foods such as corn and potatoes) and chitosan (shells derived from crustaceans).
“At the end of the day, clean water should be simple, sustainable and scalable,” said Weixin Guan, a senior doctoral student and principal investigator of the study. “This material gives us a way to leverage the richest resources in nature and make money from the air at any time, anywhere.”
How it works
The technology utilizes large reservoirs of water vapor in the Earth’s atmosphere (estimated to exceed 13,000 cubic kilometers) to provide a renewable source of freshwater, not dependent on rainfall or groundwater.
Unlike many prior art that require high humidity levels to operate efficiently, UT Austin team’s materials can extract meaningful water even under relatively dry conditions.
Innovation lies in molecular engineering methods. The researchers developed a method to modify natural polysaccharides at the molecular level, enhancing their ability to capture moisture from the air and then easily release it when warmed up.
The process of these two steps involves first attaching the thermal response groups to the natural material, which makes them more sensitive to temperature changes. The researchers then added the Zwitterionic group – a positive and negatively charged molecule – to enhance the material’s ability to absorb and store water.
The result is a hydrogel that effectively captures moisture from the air at room temperature and then releases moisture as cleaning water as clean water when heated to 60°C (140°F), which can be achieved through solar energy. Heat or other processes to waste heat to reach the temperature.
Design sustainable
Unlike many existing water harvesting technologies that rely on petrochemical-derived material and energy-intensive processes, the new approach prioritizes sustainability at every step.
“The biggest challenge of sustainable water collection is to develop a solution that effectively expands and remains practical outside the lab,” said Yaxuan Zhao, a graduate researcher involved in the study. “Because the hydrogel can be used with a wide range of biomass,” said Yaxuan Zhao. Manufacturing and operating with minimal energy input, it has strong potential for mass production and deployment in off-grid communities, emergency relief efforts, and dispersed water systems.”
Biomass-based hydrogels are biodegradable and can be produced with a large amount of natural materials that will otherwise be discarded. The process also requires minimal energy to release the collected water, making it possible to operate using solar energy or low-level waste heat.
This is in stark contrast to traditional water collection systems that typically rely on refrigeration to condense atmospheric moisture, which requires a lot of electricity and professional equipment.
From the lab to the real world
The UT Austin team has been developing hydrogels for several years and the team has been working on creating solutions that can help people not get access to clean drinking water from the start.
Previous iterations of their technology have adapted to extremely dry conditions, and Professor YU has also developed an injectable water filtration system and applied hydrogel technology to agriculture.
Researchers are now working to expand production and design practical equipment for commercialization, including portable water harvesters, self-sustaining irrigation systems and emergency drinking water equipment.
With the UN Sustainable Development Goals, designed to ensure universal waters by 2030, such technologies can provide critical support to communities in water-pressed areas, especially as climate change exacerbates water shortages in many parts of the world.
For about 2 billion people around the world who do not have access to clean drinking water, the ability to pull out water from thin air (using discarded natural materials and minimal energy) can represent a life-changing development.
As research transitions from a laboratory to practical application, it highlights how reimagining common waste can help meet one of the most fundamental needs of human beings: access to clean, safe drinking water.
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