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“With our new hydrogel, we’re not just pulling water out of thin air. We’re doing it extremely fast and without consuming too much energy,” said Guihua Yu, a materials science and engineering professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute. “What’s really fascinating about our hydrogel is how it releases water.
The researchers are pursuing additional improvements to the technology, with an eye toward transforming it into a commercial product. One focus area is optimizing the engineering of the microgels to further improve efficiency. “We developed this device with the ultimate goal to be available to people around the world who need quick and consistent access to clean, drinkable water, particularly in those arid areas,” said Yaxuan Zhao, a graduate student in Yu’s lab.”