Imagine a smartphone or a laptop that repels water so strongly that it causes liquid droplets to "bounce off" its surface!
Scientists are working on a new super-hydrophobic surface that is extremely waterproof.
Professor Julie Crockett from Brigham Young University in Utah and her colleague Dan Maynes have created a sloped channel that is super-hydrophobic, or a surface that is extremely difficult to wet.
Their study found surfaces with a pattern of microscopic ridges or posts, combined with a hydrophobic coating, produces an even higher level of water resistance - depending on how the water hits the surface.
"Our research is geared toward helping to create the ideal super-hydrophobic surface," Crockett said.
Their work is critical because the growing list of applications for super-hydrophobic surfaces is extremely diverse.
"By characterising the specific properties of these different surfaces, we can better pinpoint which types of surfaces are most advantageous for each application," said Crockett.
Crockett and Maynes' research is also headed towards cleaner and more efficient energy generation. Many power plants create energy by burning coal or natural gas to create steam that expands and rotates a turbine.
Once that has happened, the steam needs to be condensed back into a liquid state to be cycled back through.
If power plant condensers can be built with optimal super-hydrophobic surfaces, that process can be sped up in significant ways, saving time and lowering costs to generate power, researchers said.
The researchers then add a thin water-resistant film to the surfaces, such as Teflon, and use ultra-high-speed cameras to document the way water interacts when dropped, jetted or boiled on them.
The study was published in journal Physics of Fluids.
