Science Daily February 28, 2022 Hygroscopic materials have attracted widespread attention because of their water harvesting performance. However, the introduction of many inorganic salts often leads to aggregation and leakage issues in practical use. Researchers at UT Austin have developed polyzwitterionic hydrogels as an effective Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) material platform. Via anti-polyelectrolyte effects, the hygroscopic salt coordinated with polymer chains could capture moisture and enhance the swelling property, leading to a strong moisture sorption capacity. The hydrogel showed (0.62 g g−1, 120 minutes for equilibrium at 30 % relative humidity) and produced 5.87 L kg−1 freshwater per day. According to the researchers […]
Tag Archives: Natural resources
Team develops an electrochemical method for extracting uranium, and potentially other metal ions, from solution
Phys.org January 23, 2020 Carboranes, molecules composed of boron, carbon and hydrogen atoms clustered together in three-dimensional shapes did not work out as rocket engine fuel as expected. According to an international team of researchers (USA – UC Santa Barbara, Israel) carboranes could hold the key to more efficient uranium ion extraction. Key to this technology is the versatility of the cluster molecule which allows for the controlled capture and release of metal ions. They devised a way to reliably and efficiently flip back and forth between open and closed carboranes, using electricity. By applying an electrical potential using an […]
The World Could Soon Run Out of a Crucial Resource And Nobody Is Talking About It
Science Alert October 7, 2019 Phosphorous is an essential mineral for all plants and animals on Earth, including humans. It is not a renewable element, and there are currently no known substitutes and there are very few areas in which it is mined. In a report a group of 40 international experts have warned that if nothing is done to conserve this crucial element, our planet might soon run out completely. The world is entirely unprepared for the looming phosphorous crisis. There is no collaboration or coordination on a global scale that takes the responsibility of governing the global P-resource, […]