The new clear coat makes ordinary glass is very strong, self-cleaning and incredibly slippery. Glass with such properties is useful everywhere: from the screens of smart phones, to car windows.
Engineers and scientists at Harvard University have created a unique coating, based on its own development: the production technology superskolzkih porous plastic film, called SLIPS. The new coating is less slippery than the older prototypes, but much more durable and fully transparent. This allows you to create useful materials that repel virtually all types of dirt and thus protects the glass from scratches and does not impede visibility. Imagine how convenient would be car windows and mirrors, with which, without stopping, sinking water and dirt. In addition, the new coating can be used for the production of durable, scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses, self-cleaning windows and solar panels, as well as new medical diagnostic devices.
To create a new SLIPS-coating, researchers placed tiny spherical polystyrene particles on a flat glass surface. The particles are then filled with liquid crystal to about half the height of polystyrene spheres. When the glass is frozen, burst spherical polystyrene particles formed a cell from an array of tiny craters, which are then filled in a special liquid SLIPS-greasing. The honeycomb structure provides mechanical strength to the new coating, and a thin layer of liquid lubricant allows any liquid to flow easily on the glass surface. A similar function is performed by a thin layer of melted water under the blade skater skates.
By developing technology SLIPS, scientists were inspired by the unique features of carnivorous plants sarratsenii that lures insects on the surface of the leaves, so slippery that even the tenacious paws insects can not resist them. Scientists were able to create a synthetic analogue of coverage leaves sarratsenii, which in contrast to previous water-repellent material repels oil and even the sticky fluid such as honey. Also, a new coating resists the formation of ice and bacterial biofilms. Currently, scientists are improving the production technology of the new cover for the transfer of its industry. Also conducted experiments on various coating materials such as acrylic, as well as glass products of complex shape.
