interesting properties (new tech)

bogwalrus

A friend sent me on this link and i'm pretty amazed.

I can see the obvious uses but maybe there is a far more significant use for something that can repel water/liquids this well.

A few things come to mind like reducing the friction in oil pipelines or other piping networks.

In the hydroelectric sector making the process more efficient.

Coating vehicle tyres so better traction on wet days.

Spraying my dog so he doesn't get wet and ruin the house:D

Any other thoughts?

bduffy

Yep, Hydrophobic treatments are great, but they feel odd on textiles (remember teflon trousers?).
The issue with clothing is that how do they last after 10, 20, 30 cycles.
The shoes look great, but as soon as you start walking they'll crease and that red sauce will soon look like a strawberry ripple when it sticks to the worn areas!
The winner on this will be the phones, as a few friends would chip in and buy a can and treat 10 phones at a time ( potential business opportunity anyone... :cool: )
As for the tyres and pipes, the abrasion properties will be poor on these coatings and they'll wear quickly.
In fact you can look up papers on the topic in the Journal called Wear (Link)

SOL

I do like these kinds of things, but as has been said, it's not clear how they will stand up to abuse.
One thing I would like to try it out on would be in the shower room.
It would be interesting to see how would it affect the condensation, and whether a coat of this on your ceiling would prevent it from getting soggy and mouldy and just have the water fall off.
Either way I'll be picking up a set for my entertainment as soon as it hits the shelves...