Students will plan and conduct an absorbency test on four different materials and be able to explain that when testing materials to learn about their properties, the materials need to be tested in the ...

Super absorbent polymers (SAPs) have quietly become one of the most influential material innovations of the modern era. Known for their extraordinary ability to absorb and retain large amounts of ...

Engineers find the hydrogel polyethylene glycol (PEG) doubles its water absorption as temperatures climb from 25 to 50 C, and could be useful for passive cooling or water harvesting in warm climates.

Engineers synthesized a superabsorbent material that can soak up a record amount of moisture from the air, even in desert-like conditions. MIT engineers have synthesized a superabsorbent material that ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Earth’s atmosphere holds over 13,000 cubic kilometers of water vapor, yet converting this vast resource into drinkable water remains an engineering challenge. One in three people ...

Plants may have no muscles, but they can grow upwards against the strain of gravity and their roots can even shift soil and rocks – because their cells can absorb water to form strong structures. Now ...

The gel material is cheap to make, and a single kilogram can produce liters of water in seemingly dry conditions. Reading time 4 minutes As the world becomes increasingly hot, fresh and clean water is ...

Our atmosphere holds six times more water than you’ll find in all the rivers on Earth. The dew drops you see on grass and water droplets on a cold juice bottle are evidence of this natural reservoir ...

The vast majority of absorbent materials will lose their ability to retain water as temperatures rise. This is why our skin starts to sweat and why plants dry out in the heat. Even materials that are ...