Superhydrophobic Coatings

Technology Marketing SummaryORNL researchers have developed a variety of materials and processes to produce coatings with superhydrophobic properties (i.e. coatings that repel water extremely efficiently), providing  potential benefits ranging from reduced drag and increased fuel efficiency in maritime vessels, avoidance of ice accumulation on airplane wings, increased capacity in pipes and hoses, and improved performance of medical implants.DescriptionThe portfolio includes materials made from three different processes, each having unique capabilities depending on the application. The global market for nanostructured coatings is expected to exceed $3.5 billion by 2015. There are many potential applications for superhydrophic coatings, all focused on protecting the coated surface from moisture of any kind.Benefits

• Low cost
• Ease of manufacture
• Anti-fouling characteristics

Applications and Industries

• Marine anti-fouling
• Water piping
• Self-cleaning solar panels
• Waterproofing fabrics
• Sea water desalination

Patents and Patent Applications

ID Number	Title and Abstract	Primary Lab	Date
Patent 7,150,904	Composite, ordered material having sharp surface features A composite material having sharp surface features includes a recessive phase and a protrusive phase, the recessive phase having a higher susceptibility to a preselected etchant than the protrusive phase, the composite material having an etched surface wherein the protrusive phase protrudes from the surface to form a sharp surface feature. The sharp surface features can be coated to make the surface super-hydrophobic.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	12/19/2006 Issued
Patent 7,258,731	Composite, nanostructured, super-hydrophobic material A hydrophobic disordered composite material having a protrusive surface feature includes a recessive phase and a protrusive phase, the recessive phase having a higher susceptibility to a preselected etchant than the protrusive phase, the composite material having an etched surface wherein the protrusive phase protrudes from the surface to form a protrusive surface feature, the protrusive feature being hydrophobic.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	08/21/2007 Issued
Patent 7,638,182	Method for producing microchannels in drawn material A microchannel glass article includes a glass body having a porous, spinodal nanostructure and defining at least one microchannel extending from a surface of the article substantially through the article.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	12/29/2009 Issued
Patent 7,697,807	Multi-tipped optical component An optical component includes a support structure having a first composition including a recessive phase material and a second composition including protrusive phase material, the protrusive phase material defining a plurality of spaced apart surface features, each of the surface features comprising a distal end opposite the support structure, integrated with the support structure, and protruding distally from a surface of the support structure, each of the surface features reducing in cross sectional area distally from the support structure to provide a lowest cross sectional area at the distal end, the recessive phase material supporting and separating the surface features and defining a contiguous recessed surface area between the surface features, at least two of the protrusive features being characterized as optical waveguides.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	04/13/2010 Issued
Patent 7,697,808	Multi-tipped optical component An optical component has a plurality of parallel noncontiguous optical conduits of at least one protrusive phase material embedded in a recessive phase material that acts as a support structure. The optical conduits extend from a proximal surface to a distal surface of the optical component. The distal surface has a plurality of spaced apart surface features of the protrusive phase material. Each independent optical conduits act as waveguides for a wavelength or range of wavelengths. The optical component can be formed such that the protruding surface features at the distal end of the component form an ordered array. An optical instrument can include the optical component in conjunction with a light source for illuminating a sample and a detector in optical communication optical component via the optical conduits.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	04/13/2010 Issued
Patent 7,754,279	Article coated with flash bonded superhydrophobic particles A method of making article having a superhydrophobic surface includes: providing a solid body defining at least one surface; applying to the surface a plurality of diatomaceous earth particles and/or particles characterized by particle sizes ranging from at least 100 nm to about 10 .mu.m, the particles being further characterized by a plurality of nanopores, wherein at least some of the nanopores provide flow through porosity, the particles being further characterized by a plurality of spaced apart nanostructured features that include a contiguous, protrusive material; flash bonding the particles to the surface so that the particles are adherently bonded to the surface; and applying a hydrophobic coating layer to the surface and the particles so that the hydrophobic coating layer conforms to the nanostructured features.	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	07/13/2010 Issued

Technology Status

Technology ID	Development Stage	Availability	Published	Last Updated
UT-B IDs 200301331, 200401417, 200401430, 200401460, 200401475, 200501666, 200601768, 200601830, 200702003, 200902214, 201002370, 201002400	Development	Available	03/29/2011	03/29/2011