Asahi India

Water repellents based on super hydrophobic materials could be easy to fabricate out of inexpensive materials and could result in the creation of a new type of materials that prevent water, such as windshields, clothing and building materials, plus an endless list of other possible applications. Although similar coating materials with super hydrophobic properties have been created, they are extremely expensive to produce and, in comparison to the current material, they had poor water repelling qualities or were missing practical durability.

Although high-quality super hydrophobic materials are currently available, they cannot be produced on a large scale and, thus, it is not possible to turn them into commercially viable products. The glass powdered based material uses the etching properties of two different glass phases. The production process involves separating the borosilicate phase from the glass base material, and heating the two separate materials; after this, they are cooled and crushed into fine powders, each with separate etches properties, in order to completely remove the interconnected borate glass phase. This creates nanoscale porous powders, which present different sharpened features. In order to complete the production process, the powder is treated with a special hydrophobic solution that changes the chemistry of the glass surface, from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The combined effect, produced by the powders’ porosity and by the nanoscale sharpened features, further amplifies the surface tension of the water, and so, the material will become waterproof.