Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden have successfully synthesized a new, "impossible" material. The magnesium carbonate material, which has been dubbed "upsalite" by the scientific community, exhibits record-breaking properties that will likely benefit a wide range of industries.
Given its impressive surface area and water absorption qualities, upsalite promises to reduce the energy needed to regulate environmental moisture in drug formulation and electronics manufacturing as well as in warehouses and sports arenas. In addition, the material can help soak up toxic waste and oil spills.
"In contrast to what has been claimed for more than 100 years in the scientific literature, we have found that amorphous magnesium carbonate can be made in a very simple, low-temperature process," Johan Goméz de la Torre, nanotechnology and functional materials researcher, told reporters.
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