No need for aircon, as Singaporean researchers invent gel that lowers humidity and produces electricity

By Justin Ong Guang-xi

Being in a tropical country means living with higher humidity levels, especially on warm days. Now, a group of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) may have found a way to get around the physical discomfort without the use of air-conditioners.

They have invented a special hydrogel, a gel-like material that harnesses the moisture in the air to reduce ambient temperature, or the temperature of a person’s immediate surroundings. Upon absorbing the moisture, the hydrogel can be used for a wide range of practical applications as well — most interestingly, to generate electricity.

The water-absorbing hydrogel is eight times more efficient than previously known drying agents, and can quickly reduce the relative humidity of a small room from 80 to 60 per cent in a matter of minutes.

Unlike traditional cooling agents such as air-conditioners and fans, it does not depend on an external power source and can be simply coated onto walls and furniture, where it will perform its dehumidifying function.

The gel was invented by a four-member research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering. The team had been working on this project for one-and-a-half years.

Assistant Professor Tan Swee Ching, who led the research, said: “Singapore, like many tropical countries, experience high levels of relative humidity between 70 and 80 per cent. In a humid environment, the air is saturated with water and as a result, perspiration on our body evaporates more slowly. This causes us to feel hotter than the real ambient temperature, leading to great discomfort. Our novel hydrogel aims to achieve a cooling effect by removing moisture from ambient air very efficiently.”