'Dry water' could be used to store carbon dioxide

Other uses for the powdery substance include providing a safer way to store and transport potentially harmful industrial materials.

The researchers reported their findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

‘There’s nothing else quite like it,’ said Ben Carter, researcher for study leader Prof Andrew Cooper. ‘Hopefully, we may see dry water making waves in the future.’

Carter said that the substance became known as ‘dry water’ because it consists of 95 per cent water and yet is a dry powder. Each powder particle contains a water droplet surrounded by modified silica. The silica coating prevents the water droplets from combining and turning back into a liquid. The result is a fine powder that can soak up gases, which chemically combine with the water molecules to form a hydrate.

Dry water was discovered in 1968 and received attention for its potential use in cosmetics. Scientists at Hull University rediscovered it in 2006 in order to study its structure and Cooper’s group at Liverpool University has since expanded its range of potential applications.