Tough water-repellent coating could lead to faster ships

PRND[S]

PRND[S]

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From https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/09/tough-water-repellent-coating/

You`ve no doubt seen footage of water-repellent coatings that seemingly defy the laws of nature. However, they have a catch: they`re often too fragile to be useful in situations where they`re likely to face a lot of abuse, whether it`s the clothes on your back or a ship on the ocean. Researchers may finally have a solution that`s tough enough to survive these conditions, however. They`ve developed a coating whose combination of fluorinated polyurethane elastomer and a complex, extremely hydrophobic molecule can self-heal "hundreds" of times despite phenomenal levels of abuse. It`ll recover from direct strikes, burns, chemical attacks and even ultrasonic blasts.

The key is the shape at the microscopic level. Previous water-repellent coatings rely on a very specialized but often inflexible geometry that prevents water droplets from seeping in. All it takes is a little damage to ruin that characteristic and leave an object soaking wet. The new material is more flexible and theoretically worse, but it`s less likely to break and can restore itself. You can fine-tune its composition, too, so you can get the best results for a given surface.


There are concrete plans to put this into production. The scientists have formed a company, HygraTek, that aims to commercialize the tech. If it does, the potential uses are far-reaching. Ships could travel faster by reducing their water resistance, and you could waterproof clothes, cars and many other things that go through a lot of punishment. In short: the days of ruined jackets and perpetually dirty windshields might just come to an end.

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I can`t wait for this stuff to show up in car coatings!
 
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