New record in hydrophobic material

(MIT, November 20, 2013)

In the study hydrophobic materials — water-shedding surfaces such as those found in nature and created in the laboratory — there is a theoretical limit on the time it takes for a water droplet to bounce away from such a surface. But MIT researchers have now found a way to burst through that perceived barrier, reducing the contact time by at least 40 percent. “The time that the drop stays in contact with a surface is important because it controls the exchange of mass, momentum, and energy between the drop and the surface,” explains one of the researchers, “If you can get the drops to bounce faster, that can have many advantages.” For example, the new materials could be used to prevent the buildup of ice on an airplane wing.