New Superior Super Waterproof Surface Created That Makes Water Bounce like a Ball [VIDEO]

Researchers have created a super-hydrophobic surface that is extremely difficult to wet and makes water bounce like a ball.

After investing years to study super-hydrophobic surfaces, researchers at Brigham Young University have created a sloped channel that is super-hydrophobic in nature. This new creation is one of the most superior form of water-proof surfaces and causes water to roll and bounce like a ball.

Led by mechanical engineering professors Julie Crockett and Dan Maynes, this new study on super-hydrophobic surfaces may soon result in cleaner and more efficient power generation.

In this study the researchers have discovered how to create a superior level of water resistance by combining patterns of microscopic ridges or posts. The level of water resistance again depends on the manner in which the water hits the surface.

"Our research is geared toward helping to create the ideal super-hydrophobic surface," Crockett said in a statement. "By characterizing the specific properties of these different surfaces, we can better pinpoint which types of surfaces are most advantageous for each application."

This novel technique has resulted in a few commercial products that help keep shoes dry and avoid deposition of oil on bolts.

Apart from this, the extremely hydrophobic surface can also be applied to solar panels, showers, tubs or toilets, certain bio-medical devices like interior tubes or syringes, hulls of ship, exterior of torpedoes or submarine and airplane wings that can resist icing on the wingtip in cold humid conditions.

The kind of super-hydrophobic surface that the study researchers are analyzing in the lab come under two main categories: the surface with micro posts or a surface with ribs and cavities that is nearly one-tenth the size of a human hair.

 By implementing the process that is similar to the development of photo films, the researchers created micro-structured surfaces. By adding a thin water-resistant film to surfaces, like Teflon, and then with an ultra-high-speed cameras they documented the manner in which water interacts with the surface.

They noticed variations in the response of water when the width of the ribs and cavities or angles of the rib walls were altered.

 "People know about these surfaces, but why they cause droplets or jets to behave the way they do is not particularly well known," Crockett said. "If you don't know why the phenomena are occurring, it may or may not actually be beneficial to you."

The finding was documented in the academic journal Physics of Fluids.