DailyDirt: Like Water (Or Oil) Off A Duck's Back...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

People seem to be amazed when water rolls right off the surface of something because it's not the usual thing that happens. Everything gets wet, so when something doesn't, it looks pretty cool. But hydrophobic materials are actually useful, too. Here are just a few projects looking into materials that repel liquids like water.

• The surface of a material with water repellent nano-structures can create a "lotus leaf effect" that exhibits superhydrophobicity, repelling water and making a self-cleaning mechanism. Mimicking these surface textures is possible, and artificially hydrophobic surfaces could have a variety of practical applications (but maintaining nano-structures in real-world conditions can be a challenge). [url]
• A superomniphobic coating that repels not just water, but oils and even non-Newtonian liquids, is being developed in Michigan. While most folks think of stain-free clothing, this kind of coating will probably be better suited for other kinds of protective gear (eg. haz-mat suits) and other one-time use items. [url]
• Superhydrophobic surfaces are interesting for a bunch of reasons -- you can imagine self-cleaning solar panels or airplane wings that won't need de-icing. One more interesting application: improving the energy efficiency of steam turbine generators. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: hydrophobic, lotus leaf effect, materials, nanotech, superhydrophobic, superomniphobic, waterproof