SINTEF polymer harvests water from air
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- The polymer material combines a soft elastomer with a water‑absorbing polymer similar to diaper gel, allowing it to absorb large amounts of liquid while staying stable.
- The material’s “magnets” attract water molecules and, when saturated, heat up to release water, a process likened to using a hairdryer on wet hair.
- The material can be shaped as a laminate, coating, or 3‑D printed, and may be produced from inexpensive, readily available raw materials, including biomass.
- The material showed no degradation after 120 hours of continuous operation, demonstrating durability over multiple water‑harvesting cycles.
- The researchers aim to cut production costs by 25 % by scaling from gram‑ to kilogram‑scale manufacturing, and have attracted interest from start‑ups and sponsors for prototype development.
Why it matters: By cutting energy use and material cost, the new polymer makes atmospheric water generators viable in low‑humidity, water‑scarce regions, potentially delivering affordable drinking water to the nearly 2 billion people currently lacking safe supplies and reducing dependence on expensive bottled water or costly infrastructure.
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