Science & Technology

Crystals could enable underwater breathing

By T.K. Randall
October 3, 2014 ·  28 comments

Could crystals replace conventional diving gear ? Image Credit: US Navy/Christopher Perez Developed by scientists at the University of Southern Denmark, the cobalt-derived salt crystal is able to absorb oxygen at a rate of up to 160 times the concentration of the air that we breathe.

If the crystal is then heated up or placed within a low-oxygen environment it will even release the oxygen that it has stored up, providing a quick and efficient way of making an area breathable. Such a function could be particularly useful to astronauts. Another possible use could be as a grenade-type weapon to use against terrorists. A crystal-based 'oxygen bomb' could be thrown in to a room where it would activate and suck up all the oxygen, incapacitating the hostiles by rendering them unable to breath.

Perhaps the most enticing application of all however would be to use the crystals in an underwater rebreathing device. Instead of carrying hefty oxygen tanks a diver may simply be able to use a mouthpiece equipped with some of the crystals which would absorb oxygen from the surrounding water and then release it so that the diver could breathe.

Such a mechanism could potentially enable a diver to breathe underwater indefinitely.

Source: Geek.com | Comments (28)

Tags: Oxygen, Crystal