Waterproof Metal Ricochets Water to Keep Surfaces Super Dry

By etching metal surface with laser, researchers have managed to create highly effective water repellent surfaces.  

According to BBC, researchers from University of Rochester etched parallel groves 0.1 mm apart using powerful but brief laser pulses on titanium, platinum and brass to make their surfaces hydrophobic. The research team found that creation of nanostructures around the grooves gave the metal its water repellent properties.

"The material is so strongly water repellent the water actually gets bounced off. Then it lands on the surface again, gets bounced off again, and then it will just roll off from the surface. The structures created by our laser on the metals are intrinsically part of the material surface," said Chunlei Guo, professor of optics at the University of Rochester, in a news release.  

Researchers said the water repellent properties would be most useful in hygienic environments. When water bounces off the surface, it also takes dust with it. To test cleanliness potential of the metal, researchers placed dust on the surface and poured water. Three drops of water could remove half the dust while all the dust was cleared with just a dozen drops of water, leaving the surface dry. Such characteristics make it ideal for use in developing regions.

"In these regions, collecting rain water is vital and using super-hydrophobic materials could increase the efficiency without the need to use large funnels with high-pitched angles to prevent water from sticking to the surface. A second application could be creating latrines that are cleaner and healthier to use," Guo said. 

The study has been published in the Journal of Applied Physics.