Science & Technology

Water bounces off super-repellent material

By T.K. Randall
January 28, 2015 ·  13 comments

The material has a wide range of practical applications. Image Credit: sxc.hu The sophisticated new material was created through a process that involves laser-etching a microscopic pattern on to a metal surface and is far more water repellent than conventional chemical coatings such as Teflon which is used in non-stick frying pans.

The new material could prove invaluable in a range of applications from keeping ice from forming on airplanes to the production of self-cleaning toilets, something that has drawn particular interest from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.There is still quite a lot of work to be done before the material is ready for consumer use however, especially given that it currently takes an hour to produce a single square inch. The science team is also looking in to a way to apply the same method to non-metal surfaces as well.

A video demonstrating the water-repellent properties of the material can be viewed below.


Source: Live Science | Comments (13)

Tags: Water Repellent