Oak Ridge Scientist Creates "Unwettable" Surface

by Mac B
(Knoxville, TN)

Sometimes it's the seemingly boring inventions that make a huge splash in the world of business and manufacturing.

Case in point: John Simpson of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a pattent pending on a new "superhydrophobic" substance that will make water totally resistant to windshields, windows, electronic surfaces, etc.

"What I developed is a glass powder coating material with remarkable properties that cause water-based solutions to bounce off virtually any coated surface," said Simpson on the ORNL website.

"Such a superhydrophobic powder has many features and advantages, some of which include ease of manufacturing, low cost and scalability.

"Staying dry in a rainstorm may only have a small personal value," he said, "but reducing the energy required to transport products by boat or barge or extending the life of bridges or buildings would have a great value to society and individuals alike."

It's awesome to be living in a place like East Tennessee where you can be admired for your ability to get down with a country two step, and be living among people whose minds are changing the world one invention at a time.

Way to go John Simpson!