Water repellent discovery could aid military.

• Author: Beidel, Eric
• Position: Defense Technology Newswire - Brief article

* A powerful new water repellent may be able to keep water off military uniforms and help ships reduce drag in the water.

The material recreates the superhydrophobic surface found in nature on the lotus plant, said John Simpson, senior research scientist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. At a recent industry conference, he showed videos of lab tests that depict water bouncing right off surfaces coated with the patented material.

The repellent essentially consists of nanostructured sand particles chemically changed to appear like Teflon. Water never really touches the superhydrophic surface. Instead, it hits a layer of air above it, Simpson explained.

The Oak Ridge lab has developed five different types of coatings, including three transparent sprays. The potential market is wide open.

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It could protect optical assets such as camera lenses and periscopes. It could keep...