New hydrophobic product created
24 Apr 2017 by Evoluted New Media
A new self-healing, water-repellent coating has been developed that could be used on a much wider range of surfaces than currently available.
A new self-healing, water-repellent coating has been developed that could be used on a much wider range of surfaces than currently available.
Hundreds of times more durable than other counterparts, the new spray-on coating has been labelled a breakthrough by scientists at the University of Michigan. A potential benefit of this technology is reducing ship hulls’ resistance, lowering fuel consumption of vessels that transport the majority of the world’s cargo.
Professor Anish Tuteja, who was part of the study published in Applied Materials and Interfaces, said: “Thousands of superhydrophobic surfaces have been looked at over the past 20 or 30 years, but nobody has been able to figure out how to systematically design one that's durable. I think that's what we've really accomplished here, and it's going to open the door for other researchers to create cheaper, perhaps even better superhydrophobic coatings.”
The coating is a mixture of two materials, fluorinated polyurethane elastomer and a water-repellent molecule called F-POSS. It can be sprayed onto almost any surface and has a slight rubbery texture that enhances its reliability. The coating can renew itself both chemically and physically as F-POSS molecules migrate to a damaged area – an ability limited only by the coating’s thickness.
Using a different approach was key to this creation, according to lead author, doctoral student Kevin Golovin. “Most materials science researchers have focused on identifying one specific chemical system that's as durable and water-repellent as possible. We approached the problem differently, by measuring and mapping out the basic chemical properties that make a water-repellent coating durable. And some of the results surprised us.”
Durability is usually the property most investigated by scientists, but the researchers in Michigan found that partial miscibility – the ability of two substances to partially mix together – was more important. This and the stability of the water repellent surfaces were key factors in creating the coating.
Professor Tuteja believes the coating will be available for use before 2018 for water-repellent fabrics and spray-on coatings for consumers. His spin-out company, HygraTek, has patented the technology.
