UA-Engineered Solution to Control Dust in a Dry World

People living in dry climates worldwide experience the problems wrought by dry air and blowing dust, which affects everything from respiratory health to cars and other machinery. Spraying the ground with water can control dust in areas like mines and construction sites, but it requires constant reapplication, especially in arid climates like Arizona. 

MSE assistant professor Minkyu Kim has developed an environmentally safe biocompatible polymer blend that, when added to water used for dust control, keeps the ground damp for more than two months, even when exposed to the open desert air. Through Tech Launch Arizona, the UA office that commercializes inventions stemming from research, the university provided funding to advance the invention, protected the intellectual property and licensed it to startup Clean Earth Tech to bring it to the marketplace. 

Kim’s previous research has been focused on biomaterials rather than air pollution, but when he learned about the dust suppression problem, he realized he might be able to adapt the materials he was working with for a new purpose.

"Most of my work has been about finding new things and contributing to science,” he said. “I’m very excited to know that my work is benefiting all of society, not just academia.”