Recycled clay humidifier requires no electricity

The upper portion of the device evaporates water drawn from the base

Spotted: Industrial design student Liu Jiaming has created a way to turn industrial waste products into a beautiful, simple-to-use home air humidifier. The humidifier is 3D printed and uses a combination of clay and clinker. Clinker is a binding material used in many cement products and consists of a range of minerals, including slate, clay, limestone, and chalk. Many industrial manufacturing processes use the material and high heat to produce myriad products, with clinker a common waste byproduct. 

For the humidifier, Jiaming combines recycled ceramics with clinker in a ratio of one to three. The resulting powder is 3D printed into a folded half-moon shape. The bottom of the humidifier is glazed, allowing it to hold water. The 3D printing improves the absorption rate of the materials. Water added to the shallow base is drawn up through the device and then evaporates, making the device simple to use and maintain.

Depending on the space available, the humidifiers can be used separately or two at a time. When used two at a time, the half-moon shapes fit together to form a circular device. No other parts are needed, and because the device is 3D printed, the base and column are a single piece.

Artisan skills and knowledge from centuries past are being used as inspiration for solutions to current challenges, in part because they are often more sustainable than many modern practices. Examples that Springwise has spotted recently include cork homewares and passive cooling using traditional brickwork.  

Written By: Keely Khoury