Even wanted to head to the beach and help the environment at the same time? One group of engineers at the University of California, Riverside have heeded your call, and they’ve invented a new bikini capable of cleaning up oil spills and desalinizing water while you swim.
According to Mashable and Slashgear, the bathing suit in question is made out of a 3D printed material known as Sponge, and it has the ability to repel water while absorbing and storing toxic materials within the fabric. In short, that means that you can help clean up the world’s oceans by simply doing the backstroke or the doggy paddle the next time you hit the beach.
Sponge was developed by doctoral candidate Daisy Patino and Ph. D graduate Hamed Bay, both from the UC-Riverside Bourns College of Engineering, and it is made from heated sucrose, the duo explained in a statement. The porous, hydrophobic, recyclable material can absorb up to 20 times its own weight in pollutants, releasing them only when heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Pads can be used 20 times, recycled and replaced
Furthermore, Mihri Ozkan, an electrical engineering professor at UC-Riverside, said that Sponge is “a super material that is not harmful to the environment and very cost effective to produce.” It could also be used in paints for satellites and airplanes, or as part of an electromagnetic shield for use on drones, the engineering team added.
Patino, Bay and their colleagues said that Sponge remains effective for 20 to 25 uses, after which time it should be replaced. Wearing a bikini that absorbs toxins may sound somewhat unsanitary, but the UC-Riverside team explains that the contaminants are trapped in the pores and will not at any time come in direct contact with the skin.
The bathing suit is designed by 3D printing a bikini cage using an elastomer which is strong, but also flexible enough to fit the contours of a woman’s body, Slashgear explained. The pads can be replaced with new ones when needed, and the material could be used to make various other types of garments as well, including swimming caps, wetsuits, or swimming trunks for men.
According to the university, the design won first place at the Reshape 15 Wearable Technology Competition and was be recognized at the Maker Faire in Rome on Friday. Officials at the UC-Riverside Office of Technology Commercialization have filed for a patent for the materials.
—–
Image credit: University of California/Eray Carbajo
Comments