A super-magnified diagram of liquid resting on top of a surface treated with a new nanotechnology product Liquid Glass that reportedly creates a protective micro-layer that is breathable but water-repellent and easy-to-clean.
UPDATED 02/10/10; 4 PM
Nanopool, a German nanotechnology and surface-refinement company, has released an innovative coating that may one day be sprayed on “every product you purchase,” according to Nanopool’s U.K. product manager Neil McClelland. Liquid Glass, technically termed, “SiO2 ultra thin layering,” is composed simply of silicon dioxide (glass) in water or ethanol, and produces an extremely thin glass coating that is 100 nanometers thick and can be applied to any surface. It is already being offered as a spray-on application to make porous surfaces such as stone and fabric completely waterproof. As McCLelland puts it on the company’s website: “In essence, we extract molecules of SiO2 (the primary constituent of glass) from quartz sand, and then we add the molecules to water or ethanol. Unfortunately, as they say in the movies , if I told you any more …..”
The product apparently has no additives or resins because it can bond to a surface by quantum force, due to its nano-scale (the coating is 500 times thinner than a human hair). Remarkably, the coating is said to give the surface of any object unique-glass like qualities without changing any of its other properties, and is totally undetectable, non-toxic, food-safe and transparent. The treated surface become resistant to water, bacteria, UV light, heat, and acids.
Potential applications for Liquid Glass are widespread, and it has already been tested in several arenas. For example, the product has been sprayed on gravestones to prevent weathering, and used on medical supplies such as catheters and sutures to prevent infections. It is even reported to be effective on plant life and can be used on vines and seeds as an alternative to pesticides to prevent mold and bacterial growth. It also makes fabrics stain resistant and has also been used on the trains to keep the surfaces clear of dirt and rust.
McClelland is effusive about the potential uses. In a Nanopool press release he says, “Our research tells us that in all probability, we offer the most versatile coating in the world . . . Very soon almost every product that you purchase will be protected with some form of easy-to-clean coating.”
McClelland isn’t the only one excited about the implications of this new technology. Nanopool has won some awards for its work, including the 2007 Green Apple Award for the most innovative and environment-friendly products of the year. Because it can be used in agriculture in addition to making surfaces water- and stain-resistant, it has the potential to make many pesticides and harmful cleaning chemicals obsolete.
Liquid Glass is now available for domestic use in Germany and is scheduled to become widely available in the U.K. this year. To learn more about this glass-based product, see this article that recently appeared in The Independent newspaper in the U.K.
Another company based in the U.K. has been offering a product based on similar technology targeting exterior surface protection against weather and graffiti. You can learn more about that company, called Signo, on its own website here.
-Kim Harty
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include information about Signo’s products that did not appear in the original posting.