“Imagine a world where humidity could be harvested and collected, where ties, t-shirts and shoes could remain spotless, and all the fears of contracting a bacterial infection in the hospital were eliminated. This is made possible with a substance that is superhydrophobic.”
This was my intro for my last paper in my writing 340 class. We were asked to write a technical article about anything related to engineering for an online magazine called Illumin. I chose what I believe the most awesome creation since the smart phone: superhydrophobic matter. Before I jump into why its so great, let me show you.
SOOO COOOL!!!!!
Superhydrophobic literally means water fear and because of its chemical make up, water is literally repelled from surfaces. In situations where moisture has been an unconquerable enemy, this product presents a solution that has never before been available commercially. It can be applied to things in liquid form, or get sprayed on, be mixed into things like paint, or even used in product development. The elimination of water opens the door to a multitude of applications where preventing ice, bacteria growth, fog, corrosion and dirt are extremely beneficial.
-could be used to water proof cell phones or other electronics (youtube “superhydrophobic” and be amazed)
-clothes/shoes/ties stay clean forever
-rain water literally bounces off of windshields
-water won’t be able to corrode metal, degrade wood or wilt cardboard
-use on aircrafts could prevent both corrosion and icing
-can prevent icing on outside heating/AC units, windshields, rooftop gutters, etc
-prevents build up of algae, muscles, and other invasive species on boats while also saving cost on energy as the water is repelled away
-used in paints to prevent mold/ fungus
-prevents bacteria growth and disease in bed pans, plungers, and hospital devices
-can drastically reduce energy needed to pump fluids in pipes
-putting it in patterns can help collect fog, dew, rain, and humidity where water availability is limited
-special variant can be used in food bottles to prevent sticking (ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, etc)
The importance of this product abounds from its potential to prevent corrosion, conserve energy of pumping fluids, protect electronics and antiquities, avoid the buildup of ice on vehicles and appliances, reduce the need for plastic caps and wasting food, and provide a new approach to water collection where the availability of drinking water is a great risk.
This product is awesome and I really enjoyed researching about it for my paper. Finally writing class is not about the book you just read, but actually about exploring your passions. Hopefully my paper will get published on the Illumin eventually! 🙂
Holy cow that’s awesome!
This is crazy! And I thought Tide-to-Go was a great invention…