 "Droplet formation on the durable hydrophobic polymer surface")
Henkel Adhesive Technologies will collaborate with the Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA) based DropWise, a start-up founded in 2014 that develops technology, intellectual property and lab-scale manufacturing know how for a novel method of hydrophobic coating applications, to further expand its leading position in the global surface treatment business and driving growth with new applications.
The global coatings market is rapidly changing with increasing demands for new technologies that offer additional functionalities and improved sustainability. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is aiming to drive the transition as first mover and to meet future customer requirements at an early stage. DropWise’s innovation will enable a durable polymer surface with unique properties that offers improved heat transfer.
DropWise is commercialising the technology out of two laboratories at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which has a strong track record of bringing material science-based innovation to the market. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is closely working with MIT to directly interact with start-ups and entrepreneurs.
The DropWise application process is based on an initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) technique which allows the coating to be applied for OEM or retrofit applications. Using just a very small amount of polymer precursors, a chemical reaction is carried out that covalently grafts an ultra-thin polymer film to any metal surface, such as stainless steel, titanium, copper, aluminum, and even polymers and ceramics.
One example use of DropWise’s hydrophobic coating is in condensing heat exchangers, where the technology increases the efficiency by eliminating the insulating film of liquid that typically builds up on the surface. Target applications include industrial heat exchangers such as steam condensers in power plants, heating-ventilation and automotive air-conditioning as well as chemical processes. Increasing the efficiency of these systems allows for reductions in fuel consumption, emissions and coolant water use, particularly for thermal power plants, which are the largest contributors to global emissions and second largest consumers of water.
“The Henkel - DropWise collaboration aims to explore the novel hydrophobic coating applications, which will go a long way in improving the efficiency and lifetime of industrial equipment, for example, heat exchangers used in refineries, power plants and other industries,” commented Pradhyumna Ingle, business director, general industry adhesives - India & Pakistan, Henkel Adhesive Technologies.
In India, Henkel Adhesive Technologies has an Innovation Center in Pune, which, as a part of its global innovation focus, enables the company to partner with its customers in India to solve some of industries’ biggest design, efficiency and reliability challenges. “Exploring new surface coating technologies that help reducing fuel consumption, emissions and coolant water use, will prove very beneficial to our customers increasingly focused on sustainability,” added Ingle.
