"Dry water" is actually tiny droplets of normal wet water coated in silica. The result is a powder that resembles fine sugar but is 95% water. It was discovered in 1968 and has been used in the cosmetics industry.
Scientists at Liverpool University have found that "dry water" has a powerful ability to absorb gases. For example, "dry water" can absorb up to 180 times as much methane as normal water in the same time. One possible use is to store methane gas for transportation. In principle, a pressurised tank of "dry water" containing methane could be used to fuel a car.
The researchers have also shown that it can absorb more than three times as much carbon dioxide as ordinary water and silica. It is therefore seen as an ideal candidate for research into finding ways to absord and store greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, (The problem with simply placing it in the chimney of a coal-fired power atation is that the heat would make the water evaporate.)



