Revolutionary aerogel enables extraction of drinking water from seawater without energy

Today, the majority of the world's population still relies on groundwater for drinking water. However, drilling wells is largely unregulated and poorly documented, which can have serious long-term consequences for both people and nature. One solution is seawater desalination, which reduces dependence on groundwater.

It is therefore not surprising that researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a new carbon aerogel for energy-independent desalination. Even at larger sizes, the material shows less than 5 % of capacity loss, while traditional evaporators lose more than 40 % of efficiency.

The aerogel has evenly spaced vertical holes with a diameter of 20 micrometers. It is made by 3D printing a paste of carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers, layer by layer, onto a frozen substrate. For testing purposes, the researchers used square samples ranging in size from 1 to 8 cm, with testing taking place both indoors and outdoors.

The test results showed that the aerogel enables complete desalination regardless of size. Therefore, the innovation could enter our everyday lives in the near future. More should be known soon.