Self-Healing Spray-On Waterproof Coating Created

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Superhydrophobic sprays are not a new concept. I first started talking about them back in 2011 when they promised to end the need to wash clothes. But they have a fatal flaw. While they may keep a surface completely dry, they only work as long as that surface remains undamaged. These water-repellant coatings are not durable, however, scientists at the University of Michigan believe they have solved the problem.

The materials science and engineering team at Michigan took a fresh look at water-repellant coatings and realized having two core substances: a water repellant molecule and a binder, was not enough. The substances needed to mix well together and remain stable. Existing coatings do not have this mix, meaning any damage breaks their hydrophobic property.

This new coating can still be applied in spray form, but dries to form a superhydrophobic layer that can recover from a range of damage types. The water repellant property remains even after being "abraded, scratched, burned, plasma-cleaned, flattened, sonicated and chemically attacked."

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The final product is called HydraTek, and it relies on mixing together fluorinated polyurethane elastomer and the water-repellant molecule called F-POSS. When applied, it feels like rubber to the touch and will recover from damage "hundreds of times."

Applications include waterproofing roof tiles, the exterior of your car so it doesn't get dirty, or even the hull of ships. That last one is particularly exciting as it could cut fuel consumption significantly by reducing water resistance. And of course, waterproof gadgets could also benefit from this coating, but not the display as HydraTek doesn't look as though it forms a smooth, transparent surface. The recipe can be tweaked, though, so maybe a future iteration would allow for that.

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