Through finding out how and why the jellyfish can retain so much water, researchers hope by synthetic means to replicate comparable high-absorbency structures.
For three years, researchers at the Food Products and Biotechnology Institute at Chalmers Institute of Technology have labored to chart the jellyfish mechanism. Professor Paul Gatenholm at Chalmers sees major possibilities in utilizing such know-how industrially.
“Today’s diaper utilizes minute powder particles to absorb urine and convert it to gel. In its way, it functions efficiently, but the particles’ absorption capacity deteriorates sharply when dealing with salt water. Since human body fluids are salty, success is limited,” says Paul Gatenholm and explains that the jellyfish has already solved this problem.
The researchers’ working hypothesis is that the jellyfish’s hierarchical formation is the basis for being able to retain so much water. Jellyfish gel consists of supra-molecular structures based on polysaccharides and proteins. A theoretical outline of this formation is the departure for further research into a future super-absorbent. Within five to six years, Paul Gatenholm hopes to formulate a prototype. This could become the diaper material of tomorrow as well as for other similar products, with development being closely followed by the research department at SCA Personal Care.
SCA has been cooperating with Chalmers since 1990. In January 2007, the cooperation was expanded through a new interdisciplinary science center in Göteborg. The center’s focus is on supra-molecular biomaterial with unique functional properties.