Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley have developed and are now successfully testing innovative technology that can extract water from the air even in arid arid climates. The extraction of water in the desert is extremely difficult, and the introduction of such technologies could significantly improve the lives of many people. The researchers first told the scientific world about it last year, and now they have also tested it in real conditions.
The technology for extracting moisture from the air is far from new. But all the ways to do this that exist today have faced serious limitations. Typically, devices required more than 50% humidity to operate effectively, as well as a large amount of energy. American researchers have succeeded in creating a mechanism for separating water from the air passively, without using energy and at a low humidity level of up to 10%. The principles of the technology were published in the journal Nature Communications.
The essence of the new technology lies in a special metamaterial, which scientists call the metal-organic framework (MOF). It is composed of bound molecules that create a large, super-porous surface. MOF is capable of being very hydrophilic, literally attracting moisture to itself. At night, it extracts water from the air and stores it in its pores, and when exposed to sunlight, the water leaves the pores and condenses, which allows it to be collected. The system is completely passive, it does not need energy sources or any mechanical parts.
The capabilities of this technology are already quite impressive. Indeed, using only about a kilogram of MOF, you can collect more than 250 milliliters of water per day, even in the driest desert. The scientists tested the water extraction system in the arid climate of Arizona and were very pleased with the results of the technology in the field. It is also important that the MOF substance does not add any impurities to the water it holds, without affecting its quality in any way. At the moment, scientists are thinking about how to make the system even more efficient, compact and convenient.
Sergey Gray