Fabric absorbs water from fog

The new fabric is capable of absorbing water from the fog and releasing water when the temperature rises, opening up the possibility of supplying water to the desert.

Researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology and Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a special solution that allows cotton fibers to absorb excess water from the fog. Interestingly, this fabric can release water when the weather gets warmer. This can be a potential material to solve the problem of water supply in desert areas, or for agricultural purposes.

Scientists have added a polymer called P NIPAAm to cotton. At low temperatures, cotton is structured like a sponge. When the temperature is about 34o C, this fiber is capable of absorbing water from the wet environment very well, about 340% of the body weight.

The new fabric has the ability to manually adjust the recording mode - release water according to the ambient temperature.

The idea of ​​this cotton fiber comes from a beetle that lives in the desert area. This species can absorb and drink water from the fog by catching water droplets on its body, allowing them to roll into the mouth. Similarly, spiders also catch water by taking moisture away from the network.

The new fabric is suitable for desert and mountain areas, where the air is often dewy at night. According to researcher Catarina Esteves, this material is quite cheap and can be produced easily.

Unlike other 'mist' systems, this cotton fabric can be used without wind, which can be placed directly at the place where water is needed.

Scientists are trying to improve the hygroscopic capacity of this fabric as well as lower the temperature so that the fabric automatically switches from the water collection mode to the water release mode.