Scientists develop nanotubes that extract water from the air


According to scientists, deserts occupy about a fifth of the land. The main problem of a person in the desert is the lack of water. Rescue wells and oases are a rarity, not everyone can find and reach them. But as it turned out, water in the desert can be extracted from the air, because even the driest and hottest air contains moisture. The question is how to get it out of there.
A group of researchers at Rice University proposed using specially designed nanotubes for this purpose. This original idea was suggested by the Stenocara beetle, which exhibits miracles of survival in the desert. As a moisture collector, the beetle uses its wings, with which it absorbs water particles from the morning mist. He has enough stock for the day. The next morning everything repeats itself.

The researchers decided to reproduce a unique natural mechanism using an array of nanotubes. The upper part sucks water, and the lower part repels. Thus, the water is trapped, after which it remains to extract it, without expending any energy.

Given the microscopic size of the nanotubes, it is not difficult to guess that to obtain the necessary amount of water they will need a lot. When all the technical problems are solved, nanocircles will appear, with which no desert is afraid.

Source: techcult.ru

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