Astronauts are testing form of water that burns like fire

It may seem strange, but International Space Station (ISS) astronauts are conducting tests on a form of water that, unlike the work of firefighters, can start a combustion. The state, called "supercritical", can be an important solution to the vast amount of waste on the planet - as water in this form can incinerate without polluting the environment.

To achieve this state it is necessary to compress water at 217 times atmospheric pressure and heat it to 373 degrees Celsius, turning it into a mixture of gas and liquid. At this point, any organic element in contact with "supercritical" water quickly oxidizes - a way of burning without the use of fire. The process can still produce visible flames, but it is not very common.

This will make it possible to get rid of the debris without the negative effects of pollution on the environment, because as the burning is done without flames, the reaction does not bring polluting products to nature. However, the great challenge for scientists is to deal with the large amount of salt from “supercritical water, ” which over time erodes the piping and tanks that deal with the element.

In the video below, ScienceAtNASA explains how the process works and the advantages of using this form of water.

Via Tecmundo