GE has developed a new plastic that repels water-based fluids, otherwise known as "superhydrophobicity".
While several existing engineered materials behave this way, the GE accomplishment is noteworthy because it was done with an inexpensive plastic, GE's Lexan, that's normally "hydrophilic," meaning water spreads out on contact, not something that's "hydrophobic" to start with, such as Teflon or silicone-based materials. These latter materials are far more expensive compared with Lexan, a ubiquitous thermoplastic used in products ranging from CDs and DVDs to automotive headlamps, food storage containers, and common household appliances.
Although GE has not yet pin-pointed specific applications of this new material, there are endless possibilities--from common household use to improvements in medical procedures.
Here is a
vid of honey rolling off the new plastic.
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