Wooden Cube Pulls Water From Thin Air

A new device fashioned from wood could revolutionize water collection, potentially aiding millions in arid regions. Scientists at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have devised a groundbreaking water harvester that works without electricity, drawing moisture from the atmosphere and releasing it via sunlight.

How It Works

The device’s core is a small wooden cube. Researchers removed lignin, the compound that makes wood rigid, creating a spongy texture riddled with microscopic pores. These pores are then filled with lithium chloride salt, which attracts airborne water molecules.

The cube’s opposite side is coated with carbon nanotube ink, converting sunlight into heat. This heat then transforms the collected molecules into potable water.

“The researchers say they took the lignin (which makes wood rigid) out of the wood, and this turned the water harvester into a spongy-like texture that is packed with microscopic pores.”

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The device successfully captured around 2.5 milliliters of water per gram of material overnight. It released the water at a 94% efficiency rate when exposed to sunlight. Current figures indicate that over 700 million people worldwide lack access to clean water, highlighting the urgency of innovative solutions (WHO, 2024).

Key Advantages

Unlike other water harvesters, such as the Aquaria model, this wooden cube functions with minimal infrastructure. It also performs effectively in areas with as little as 30% humidity, which could be transformative for dry, desert areas.

The cube’s design offers a sustainable solution, requiring less infrastructure compared to other technologies. Other initiatives, like a gel-based water harvester, also aim to pull water from the atmosphere.

This technology offers a promising avenue for increasing access to clean water, particularly in areas with limited resources. Its straightforward design makes it a potentially sustainable and widespread solution for water scarcity challenges.