Replace Ice Cubes With Freezable Hydrogel

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(Edited)

Ice is not just used to chill your drinks but it is also an irreplaceable tool in the pharmaceutical, medicinal, or food industry. But in the future, we might replace it with a hydrogel that can be frozen repeatedly without losing mass.


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Image by Sebastian Nikiel from Pixabay

When it comes to getting your whiskey cool, nothing beats an ice cube. For now. Even if they melt and release water into your drink. But scientists are working on it and are searching for an alternative. For example, these hydrogel ice cubes that can be repeatedly frozen and keep their shape under any temperature could be the next cool thing.

The freezable hydrogel has been created by experts from the University of California. It is made from 10 % protein gelatin and 90 % water. It can be turned into any shape and size. When it is at room temperature it is translucent and soft. After you freeze it hardens and is no longer translucent. The goal is not only to replace ice to cool your drinks but also to help store food or other sensitive commodities that require cold.

The main difference is that these hydrogel cubes do not melt when heated. The water stays inside the hydrogel and thus the material can be repeated frozen and heated. The scientists confirmed that their hydrogel cubes can be frozen and melted at least twelve times in a row without any degradation. All you need to do is to clean them.

Another benefit is that the freezable hydrogel doesn’t come with any synthetic elements. It can be easily composted after it has done its job. But that is not enough for the hydrogel’s creators. They want to find a way to create the gelatin from agricultural waste.

Lastly, another benefit of this material is that it saves water because you use less of it than when making ice and it prevents microorganisms from contaminating the ice that can then be released when regular ice melts.

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1 comments
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You already see the future.With all these advantages, it will replace ice cubes

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