Hot Summer Air Turns Into Drinking Water With New Gel Device – UT News

Austin Researchers Develop Hydrogel to Turn Hot Air into Drinking Water

AUSTIN, Texas — For significant portions of the globe faced with water shortage problems, a beacon of hope may be on the way: the ability to easily turn hot air into drinking water.

Introduction

For the past few years, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. In new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.

Turning Hot Air into Drinking Water

The researchers were able to pull water out of the atmosphere and make it drinkable using solar energy, in conditions as low as 104 degrees, aligning with summer weather in Texas and other parts of the world. That means people in places with excess heat and minimal access to clean water could someday simply place a device outside, and it would make water for them, with no additional effort necessary.

“With our new hydrogel, we’re not just pulling water out of thin air. We’re doing it extremely fast and without consuming too much energy,” said Guihua Yu, a materials science and engineering professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute. “What’s really fascinating about our hydrogel is how it releases water. Think about a hot Texas summer — we could just use our temperatures’ natural ups and downs, no need to crank up any heaters.”

Efficiency and Adaptability

The device can produce between 3.5 and 7 kilograms of water per kilogram of gel materials, depending on humidity conditions. A significant feature of this research is the hydrogel’s adaptability into microparticles called “microgels.” These microgels unlock the speed and efficiency improvements that bring this device much closer to reality.

“By transforming the hydrogel into micro-sized particles, we can make the water capture and release ultrafast,” said Weixin Guan, a graduate student in Yu’s lab and one of the leaders of the research. “This offers a new, highly efficient type of sorbents that can significantly enhance the water production by multiple daily cycling.”

Scaling Up and Future Developments

The researchers are pursuing additional improvements to the technology, with an eye toward transforming it into a commercial product. One focus area is optimizing the engineering of the microgels to further improve efficiency. Scaling up is an important next step. The researchers aim to translate their work into tangible and scalable solutions that can be used worldwide as a low-cost, portable method of creating clean drinking water. This could be life-changing for countries such as Ethiopia, where almost 60% of the population lacks basic access to clean water.

“We developed this device with the ultimate goal to be available to people around the world who need quick and consistent access to clean, drinkable water, particularly in those arid areas,” said Yaxuan Zhao, a graduate student in Yu’s lab.

The team is working on other versions of the device made from organic materials, which would reduce costs for mass production. This transition to more commercially viable designs comes with its own challenges in scaling production of the sorbent that allows moisture absorption and in maintaining durability for the product’s lifespan. Research is also focused on making the devices portable for various application scenarios.

Conclusion

This project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. The development of a low-cost, portable method of creating clean drinking water has the potential to address water scarcity issues and improve access to clean water in arid regions. The researchers’ breakthrough in using solar energy to extract water from the atmosphere demonstrates the potential for sustainable solutions to global challenges.

This project is supported by the Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research from The Welch Foundation and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services.

   The article discusses the development of a device that can produce clean drinking water from the atmosphere, addressing the issue of water shortage. This aligns with SDG 6, which aims to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all. The device has the potential to provide safe and affordable drinking water, contributing to the target of achieving universal access to safe drinking water by 2030. The indicator 6.1.1 can be used to measure progress towards this target by assessing the proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services.

2. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Indicator 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.

   The device described in the article uses solar energy to extract water from the atmosphere, highlighting the connection to SDG 7, which focuses on affordable and clean energy. The use of solar energy aligns with the target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Indicator 7.2.1 can be used to measure progress towards this target by assessing the renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries.
   • Indicator 9.5.1: Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP.

   The research and development efforts described in the article, which led to the development of the hydrogel device, align with SDG 9, which focuses on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. The target of enhancing scientific research and upgrading technological capabilities is relevant to the article’s content. Indicator 9.5.1 can be used to measure progress towards this target by assessing the research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: news.utexas.edu

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