Scientists have developed a super-absorbent gel made from readily available materials that can absorb
One kilogram of gel can theoreticallyproduce almost 6 liters of water at 15% relative humidity and more than 13 liters of water at 30% relative humidity, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications. By comparison, in the southwestern Mojave Desert, humidity typically fluctuates between 10% and 30%.
The researchers made a gel from a derivativea compound of cellulose (which is found in all plant cells), a special fiber extracted from an edible tuber known as konjac, and an absorbent lithium chloride salt. The liquid materials were mixed, poured into a mold, allowed to set for 2 minutes, and then dried into a thin sheet. According to the study, all the materials needed to make 1 kilogram of dried gel cost less than $2.
After hardening and drying, thin gel sheetssaturated with moisture in about 20 minutes. To extract this water as a drinkable liquid, the researchers heated the gel in a closed chamber and collected the condensate. They found that about 70% of the collected water was released within 10 minutes of heating the gel at 60°C.