'Dry water' could make a big splash commercially

The powder shows bright promise for a number of other uses, they said. It may, for instance, be a greener, more energy-efficient way of jump-starting the chemical reactions used to make hundreds of consumer products. Dry water also could provide a safer way to store and transport potentially harmful industrial materials.

Carter explained that the substance became known as “dry water” because it consists of 95 percent water and yet is a dry powder. Dry water was discovered in 1968 and got attention for its potential use in cosmetics. Scientists at the University of Hull, U.K. rediscovered it in 2006 in order to study its structure, and Cooper's group at the University of Liverpool has since expanded its range of potential applications. One of the most recent involves using dry water as a storage material for gases, including carbon dioxide. In laboratory-scale research, Cooper and co-workers found that dry water absorbed over three times as much carbon dioxide as ordinary, uncombined water and silica in the same space of time.

In another potential new application, the scientists also showed that dry water is a promising means to speed up catalyzed reactions between hydrogen gas and maleic acid to produce succinic acid, a feedstock or raw material widely used to make drugs, food ingredients, and other consumer products. “There's nothing else quite like it,” said Ben Carter, Ph.D., researcher for study leader Professor Andrew Cooper. “Hopefully, we may see 'dry water' making waves in the future.”

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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/acs-wc080910.php
CONTACT:
Prof. Andrew Cooper
University of Liverpool
Department of Chemistry
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)151 794 3548
Fax: +44 (0)151 794 2304
Email: aicooper@liverpool.ac.uk or aicooper@liv.ac.uk