Transportation of water like plants

2008/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

At the University of Ithaka, in New York, the water transport system of the plants has been imitated with a microsite. The roots of the plants absorb from the soil by evaporating the water from the leaves. This is because the tree keeps the water balance continuously, the process of evaporation pulls the water from the inside of the stem plant towards the leaves, a negative pressure is generated inside the plant that causes the roots to get more water from the subsoil. In the case of the microgel, scientists have managed to create a system similar to plants by means of a poly gel (hydroxyethylene methacrylate). The system has been called micro-oak.

The microgel behaves like xilema, that is, as the vegetable tissue that carries water. It is a fabric formed by hollow tubes, but not just that. The xilema has microscopic pores to be able to eject the gas from the bubbles that can form in the water without the water being removed. The microgel also presents micropores, a very important characteristic since the water it absorbs can be in a gaseous state.

Methacrylate microfibers can have many applications, for example, can be used for water extraction in places with little humidity, or in cooling systems that use water.