Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a copolymer solution that allows water to be harvested from the air. This technology can improve arid regions and emergency situations where access to water is limited.
Development succeeds in collecting water from the air
The team, led by Daisuke Ikegawa, a student at the Graduate School of Engineering, and professors Arisa Fukatsu, Kenji Okada, and Masahide Takahashi, have found a way to make water-adsorbing polymers at much lower temperatures than those typically used. While desorption of water polymers requires around 100 °C, this new solution achieves this at just 35 °C, reducing energy consumption.
The breakthrough in the study is based on the use of random copolymers of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol, which have different affinities for water. This difference creates a water transfer mechanism that makes the desorption process much more efficient.
Dr. Fukatsu stressed that this technology has the potential to be applied in water harvesting in desert areas, and in critical circumstances such as natural disasters. In addition, it is expected that the advancement of this technology will allow for a reduction in greenhouse gases and a more efficient use of water resources.
This work was published in the journal ACS ES&T Water , and funded by several institutions, including the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan ( MEXT ) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science ( JSPS ).
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Source and photo : OMU
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