Self-Cleaning Material

Nano-sealing material in which nanostructures build a consistent network of molecules on a surface to make it super-hydrophobic or super-hydrophilic to block out any substance and to protect the surface.
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Technology Life Cycle

Technology Life Cycle

R&D

Initial phase where new technologies are conceptualized and developed. During this stage, technical viability is explored and initial prototypes may be created.

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

Technology Readiness Level (TRL)

Prototype Testing

Prototype is fully functional and ready for testing in industrially relevant environment.

Technology Diffusion

Technology Diffusion

Innovators

First to adopt new technologies. They are willing to take risks and are crucial to the initial testing and development of new applications.

Self-Cleaning Material

This material can clean itself without the need for external cleaning agents or manual cleaning. This is possible as nanomaterials are applied to a matrix of molecules on a particular surface, essentially becoming a robust outer layer of protection for surfaces. This technological solution promises to increase durability, eliminate energy loss between mechanical parts, enhance performance, prevent contamination, the build-up of microorganisms, dust, and corrosion of surfaces.

Some self-cleaning materials are designed to be highly hydrophilic, meaning they have a strong attraction to water. This allows water to spread evenly over the surface, forming a thin film that can help to wash away dirt and other debris. Other self-cleaning materials are designed to be super-hydrophobic, meaning they repel water and other liquids. When water comes into contact with a super-hydrophobic material, it forms droplets that roll off the surface, carrying dirt and other contaminants with it. Besides being super-hydrophobic or hydrophilic, such nanocoatings have several features and benefits that conventional coatings cannot achieve. The main features include transparency, breathability, water and stain repellency, as well as scratch and corrosion resistance.

They can be applied to nearly every type of surface, such as steel, glass, fabric, wood, stone, plastic, textiles, electronics, paint, thus yielding an extensive application area for hydrophobic nanocoatings. Also, these coatings could be used to make fruits last longer without rotting, sprayed on electronic devices to make them waterproof, or even applied to the scalp to effectively treat androgenetic hair loss. By finding uses in industries like water management, wastewater treatment, refrigeration, manufacturing, shipping, and transport of liquids, frictionless coatings will find an abundance of new applications in the consumer world, from fashion to healthcare.

Future Perspectives

The demand for water-resistant self-cleaning technologies from the electronics industry is going to increase significantly within the next few years. Due to the hydrophobic properties of frictionless nanocoatings, they could be applied to a wide range of surfaces, helping decrease accumulated dirt and dust. Once widespread, this solution could mark a significant change in home-care routines by creating a scenario in which cleaning becomes increasingly unnecessary.

Being able to protect entire buildings from pollution as well as safeguarding matter from contamination, this kind of material can play a significant role in public healthcare by mitigating the chances of some infections through surfaces. Its resistance to the build-up of organisms could also point to a situation in which they are applied to textiles, decreasing the frequency and need for periodically doing the laundry.

Besides cleaning, this technology could be used to produce vessels, pots, and glasses used by the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, saving millions in cleaning and the disposal of contaminated substances due to leakage or involuntary contact with water. As some sectors depend on "pure" chemicals or compounds that need to avoid contact with external elements, this material could help repel any accidental or intentional foreign invaders.

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Sources
While perhaps far from mainstream science, biological surfaces have received a lot of attention in recent decades, especially by the biomimetic community. In fact, many studies surrounding surfaces have become the prime examples of Bionics/Biomimetics, such as the self-cleaning lotus leaves, the super adhesive gecko pads, etc.
Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have developed a new spray-on material with a remarkable ability to repel water. The new protective co...
Behind the scenes, a company called P2i has developed a new method for making phones and tablets impervious to H2O.
Australian researchers have developed a new sprayable water-repelling material that could be used to waterproof various types of technologies more cheaply and more durably than is currently possible with existing materials.
Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
Researchers are flying the idea that insect wings could act as a model for making self-cleaning, frictionless, and superhydrophobic materials.
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This review article exemplifies the importance of self-cleaning materials and coatings. Self-cleaning coatings are becoming an integral part of our daily life because of their utility in various applications such as windows, solar panels, cements, and paints. In this review, various categories of materials f
Self-cleaning, water and dirt-repellent coatings have differing properties, functional principles and manufacturing processes. Self-cleaning of the 'Lotus Effect' type has its basis in chemical-physical principles - these surfaces are characterised by a special roughness and are strongly water-repellent; in the ideal case, rain is sufficient for cleaning. 'Easy-to-Clean' materials, in contrast, have a particularly flat surface, which is both water and dirt-repellent on the basis of chemical aspects. Although the amount of mechanical cleaning may be reduced, they are not self-cleaning. A third form of self-cleaning is that based on photo catalysis by nano titanium dioxide. On such surfaces UV radiation produces oxygen radicals that decompose organic material, which in turn is removed in the rain by a water film.
Scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new technique for coating fruit with a spray that could prolong its shelf life by several weeks.
Nanotechnology is gaining tremendous impetus due to its capability of modulating metals into their nanosize, which drastically changes the chemical, physical and optical properties of metals. Nanoparticles have been introduced as materials with good potential ...
Soon you won't have to worry about your phone falling in the toilet, tumbling into a puddle or someone inadvertently dribbling coffee into the headphone socket (we've all done it).
Materials which possess property of cleaning dust from their surface are known as self cleaning materials. Natural surfaces like butterfly wings and lotus leaves also exhibits self cleaning property. Due to its tremendous application in industry now a day's researchers have attracted towards research on self cleaning materials. Though self cleaning materials are currently used, its market has high potential in nearest years, and will become largest category of smart materials for its revenue generation. With the advances in development and economy, problem associated with industrial pollutants becoming more serious. All these pollutants, dust, debris settles on exterior part of walls, which decreases its aesthetic looks. Majority of self cleaning material surfaces fall under two categories: Hydrophilic (in which water spreads over the surface forming the thin film) and Hydrophobic (in which water drop roll off quickly on the surface). In present communication we will try to elaborate present status of self cleaning materials and its applications in various industries. Introduction During last few years numerous works is carried out on self cleaning materials especially with reference to its durability and cost effectiveness. Because of unique properties and tremendous applications in the area of energy and environment, self cleaning materials have gained considerable attention. Natural surfaces like butterfly wings, fish scales and lotus leaves also exhibits self cleaning property. These coatings have wide variety of applications such as window glasses, cements, textile, paints etc. Self cleaning material surfaces fall under two categories, hydrophilic and hydrophobic. Both of these types are able to clean themselves when water is present. The common case in nature is Lotus effect. Due to hydrophobicity of the lotus leaf water droplets can be seen on the surface of it. Such a hydrophobic coating has higher water of contact angle. Since these surfaces are highly water repellent, water tends to form spherical droplet and roll over on the surface and hence cleans it. Whereas hydrophilic self cleaning materials are based on the photo catalysis. When they are exposed to light they break downs the impurities. Mechanism of self cleaning is achieved by lotus effect, photo catalytic coating and by easy to clean finishing.

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