The study involved about a bucket full (10 liters) of microscopic grains, and found them to be enough to completely suck the oxygen out of a room. Professor Christine McKenzie said:
“In the lab, we saw how this material took up oxygen from the air around us.”
The new material is smaller and lighter to carry than those currently used to obtain the same result. Professor McKenzie added:
“A few grains contain enough oxygen for one breath, and as the material can absorb oxygen from the water around the diver and supply the diver with it, the diver will not need to bring more than these few grains.
When the substance is saturated with oxygen, it can be compared to an oxygen tank containing pure oxygen under pressure – the difference is that this material can hold three times as much Oxygen.”
According to the study, the crystalline-made material was obtained by using x-ray diffraction, displaying the atomic behavior of the material while it’s full of oxygen – it was then emptied of it.