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Researchers make metal waterproof with laser

The ability to avoid rust is the most obvious benefit of water-repellent metals, but they could also be useful for applications where ice is a no-no.

By Brooks Hays

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Rochester have figured out a way to make metals hydrophobic after they've been treated with lasers.

Scientists found the metals subjected to repeated laser blasts developed surface patterns that more effectively repel water. A closer look showed that metals treated with lasers featured micro- and nanoscale structures, which caused water to bead more effectively and not become stuck.

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"The material is so strongly water-repellent, the water actually gets bounced off. Then it lands on the surface again, gets bounced off again, and then it will just roll off from the surface," Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics at Rochester, explained in a recent news release.

As well as being hydrophobic, the laser-treated surfaces are also highly heat and light absorbent -- a combination researchers say could be useful in the creation of rust-free solar panels that capture the sun's energy and don't have to be cleaned as often.

The ability to avoid rust is the most obvious benefit of water-repellent metals, but they could also be useful for applications where ice is a no-no.

"Some potential applications for anti-icing surfaces include protection of aerofoils, power transmission lines, pipes of air conditioners and refrigerators, and radar or telecommunication antennas," the researchers wrote about their findings.

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Guo and his colleagues have previously created surface materials that are hydrophilic -- able to absorb water extremely quickly and efficiently.

The new hydrophobic research was detailed this week in the Journal of Applied Physics.

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