The most waterproof material ever?
US engineers have created "the most water-resistant material ever" - inspired by tiny structures on nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings.
Using high-speed cameras, they filmed droplets bouncing off different "super-hydrophobic" surfaces - to see how quickly they repelled liquid.
They found that adding "macroscopic" textures to the surface made the water rebound faster - by splitting it into several droplets instead of one.
The team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hope their design will inspire new waterproof clothing and "anti-freeze" materials for aircraft engines.
Video: James C Bird, Rajeev Dhiman, Hyuk-Min Kwon, Kripa K Varanasi, MIT.
21 Nov 2013
- From the section Science & Environment