New Laser Transforms Metals into Super Water-Repellent Materials (VIDEO)

Lasers have yet another use. Scientists are using them to transform metals into extremely water-repellent materials without the need for temporary coatings. This could be huge for airplanes, anti-rust materials and other applications.

Water-repellent, or super-hydrophobic, materials are useful for several different applications. They can be used for rust prevention, anti-icing or even sanitation uses. Yet most hydrophobic materials currently rely on chemical coatings, which can wear off and affect the surrounding environment.

In this case, though, researchers have managed to find a way past these coatings. The scientists have created a powerful and precise laser-patterning technique that creates an intricate pattern of micro- and nanoscale structures to give metals new, hydrophobic properties.

"The material is so strongly water-repellent, the water actually gets bounced off," said Chunlei Guo, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Then it lands on the surface again, gets bounced off again, and then it will just roll off from the surface."

The new materials that have been created are actually more slippery than Teflon. By tilting the materials less than five degrees, you can make water roll off the metals; with Teflon, you have to tilt it at 70 degrees. And as the water rolls off of these super-slippery materials, it takes dust particles with them which gives them self-cleaning properties.

What's most exciting is that this same laser technique can give rise to multifunctional metals. They can be given different properties, depending on the type of pattern placed on their surface. For example, turning metal black can make them efficient at absorbing light, and also making them water repellent could lead to efficient solar absorbers.

Currently, the scientists plan on focusing on increasing the speed of patterning the surfaces with the laser, as well as studying how to expand this technique to other materials, such as semiconductors or dielectrics.

The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Physics.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.

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