| 26.02.2004 (04:00 Uhr) Makrolon® polycarbonate – A high-tech plastic for extreme conditions How the Watercone® works : As simple as it is ingenious
The handling and maintenance of such devices must be simple and easy to understand. The Watercone® functions without any complicated components and is entirely maintenance-free. The way it works is as simple as it is ingenious: The cone is placed on moist ground or floated on calm water. The sun's radiation evaporates the salty or contaminated water, which then condenses to form droplets that trickle down the inside wall of the cone into a collecting trough. One unit can produce up to 1.5 liters of clean water a day. The quality of the water has been analyzed and approved by TÜV Rheinland, Germany, an independent testing and assessment agency. "It may not seem like much for those of us who need only flip on the water faucet, but most people in this world are not as fortunate; for many of them, every drop of water is essential to survival," says Augustin. "Help in the Third World generally only functions if it's simple and effective," explains Stephan Augustin. "Therefore, you need not only good ideas, but also an appropriate material that can withstand everyday service in extreme conditions." The search for a high-tech plastic, which had to be unbreakable and transparent, but still retain its dimensional stability in extremely hot climates, led Stephan Augustin and Zeltec to Bayer MaterialScience. The high-tech plastic Makrolon® polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable and lightweight, but still has the required dimensional stability in heat. In other words, it is ideal for the device’s application in harsh climates. Above all, however, it is as transparent as glass – allowing sunlight to pass through – and still indestructible. Bayer MaterialScience developed a special coating for the plastic to protect it from rapid aging and deterioration due to aggressive UV radiation. The inside of the cone has a coating approved for food contact by the US Food and Drug Administration. The tray base, deliberately colored black, helps accelerate the condensation process. After initial testing in Thailand and India, the Watercone® is now being used for the first time on a large-scale in Yemen, where the Makrolon® polycarbonate cones are producing portable water for several families. The Watercone® has been successfully tested in India. Watercones® can float and produce up to 1.5 liters of potable water a day by means of condensation. |
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