The research group of Professor Takashi Miyata of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Kansai University and the Health and Environmental Systems Business Headquarters of Sharp Co., Ltd. absorb moisture (gas state) in the atmosphere and change it to water (liquid state) by slightly raising the temperature. We have succeeded in developing a smart gel that can be used.
Polymer gel is a material used around us such as food, disposable diapers, and contact lenses.Among such gels, stimulus-responsive gels (smart gels) that change their volume in response to changes in the external environment such as temperature and pH are attracting attention.Smart gels are usually used in water or in wet conditions, and there have been few studies on the application of smart gels in dry conditions.
Therefore, the group has developed a smart gel that changes to liquid water by a slight temperature change due to moisture absorption.This smart gel absorbs moisture well near room temperature in a relatively humid environment. When heated to 50 ° C, liquid water seeps out from the surface of the absorbed gel.In addition, it is possible to repeatedly operate moisture absorption and exudation by changing the temperature cycle.
A normal dehumidification system using a desiccant such as zeolite requires a process of heating the desiccant at a high temperature after absorbing moisture to regenerate it, and a process of condensing the water evaporated in the process, which consumes a large amount of energy. However, with smart gel, moisture can be collected as liquid water by slight heating, which is expected to lead to the development of a compact and energy-saving system.
Paper information:[Nature Communications] Thermo-responsive gels that absorb moisture and ooze water
