Hydrophilic Powder Used To Save Library Books

VersatilePrimate writes "Wired News has a story about a polymer that can instantaniously suck 2000 times in its body weight of water. Super Slurper, a starch-based polymer with a powerful thirst, has been employed in diapers and filters, but researchers want to turn the page and develop a different application: drying waterlogged books."

Comments

Do you believe this?

[Futurepower(R)]

"... a mere teaspoon of the stuff can absorb a gallon of water"

Somebody has been pulling a reporter's leg.

Re:Do you believe this?

[morcheeba]

Nope. I bought some stuff like this at a magic store for practical jokes. A small packet in someone's drink will turn it to slurpee-consitancy. I'd guess a tablespoon would do a gallon, but I haven't tried that much - usually a teaspoon is plenty for a glass.

When it absorbs, the particles greatly increase in size, like a virgin sponge. The result will be the same volume as a gallon of water, but it will be jell-ified.

Re:Fact or fiction?

[Rxke]

too viscous? just add another spoonful of the-cheap- stuff. Problem solved (no pun intended) BTW I sent the article to 4 paper restaurators, 2 already answered me in very enthousiastic ways... So it might be a killer-app in the making...