(Times of Israel) David Shamah - Cine'al Ltd., an Israeli nanotechnology start-up, is developing technology to turn jellyfish into "super-absorbers," suitable for use in diapers, tampons, medical sponges, even paper towels. During spring and early summer, millions of jellyfish appear near Israeli beaches, making swimming next to impossible. "One-third of disposable waste in dumps consists of diapers," said Ofer Du-Nour, president of Cine'al. Highly-absorbent products are made of synthetic materials. The challenge was to find a bio-degradable material that was at least as absorbent. TAU researchers found the solution in jellyfish. Using nano-materials, jellyfish are converted into Hydromash, which absorbs high volumes of water and blood in seconds. The process also adds nano-particles which allow for the addition of anti-bacterial and tissue-healing attributes, flexibility, colors, scents and more. The result is a product that absorbs several times its volume, bio-degrades in less than 30 days, and can compete with synthetics on price.
2014-04-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive