Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: thedoc on 18/09/2012 16:48:50

Title: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: thedoc on 18/09/2012 16:48:50
A superhydrophobic layer repels water from hot metal and prevents it boiling...

Read the whole story on our  website by clicking here (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/news-archive/news/2656/)

  
Title: Re: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: peppercorn on 17/09/2012 14:40:31
Could this tech also be used to recover water from exhaust gases, without having to cool the total gas flow? ... I know the effect appears to be the 'wrong way round' for this, but the having the selectively 'move around' heat - must have many uses....

Perhaps micropore filters could be selectively coated with this type of surface, then H20 can go through some holes but not others (?).
Title: Re: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: CliffordK on 17/09/2012 14:59:20
I would do the experiment on sub hulls and ship hulls.

Perhaps the hydrophobic channels would make it like running the vessel in an air pocket, and reduce he water resistance.  Also, potentially making an unpleasant environment for barnacles.

Would it reduce the sonar signature?

Repainting would be a pain though.
Title: Re: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: chris on 17/09/2012 17:44:06
Actually, the paper explores both superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces and Neelesh Patankar, the co-author, told me that what has been aluded to above is precisely what they are seeking to do. The interesting thing here is the ability to control the phase changes, in both directions.
Title: Re: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: peppercorn on 20/09/2012 11:19:14
Wow!
The more I think about this means for selectivity in gas flows (with mixed phase-transition), the exciting it seems in improving a whole host of thermodynamic processes!
Title: Re: What does a hot, superhydrophobic ball-bearing do in water?
Post by: yamo on 23/09/2012 08:12:35
No burn cookery?