A new sponge-like material uses sunlight to harvest water from air, offering an efficient, low-cost solution for water scarcity.
Engineers from Australia and China have developed a sponge-like device that captures moisture from the air and releases it into a cup using solar energy. Unlike other technologies such as fog harvesting and radiative cooling, this device remains effective even in low-humidity conditions.
The water-harvesting system performs reliably across a wide range of humidity levels, from 30 to 90 percent, and temperatures between 5 and 55 degrees Celsius.
According to senior researcher Dr Derek Hao from RMIT University in Melbourne, the device uses the naturally porous structure of refined balsa wood, which has been modified to absorb atmospheric moisture and release it when needed.
The team’s wood-based composite fits neatly inside a cup, which includes a dome lid, an anti-pollution tray, a cooling system, and a solar-powered activation mechanism.
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