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No More Grease Stains?
ASEE Prism, Mar 2008 by Grose, Thomas K
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OLEOPHOBICAn unhealthy fear of margarine? No, it means oil-resistant. Scientists have long sought to develop oleophobic materials but with little success. Yet in nature, there are plenty of water-resistant materials. That's because water has a high surface tension, so it beads up easily. But with its low surface tension, oil just soaks in. Now two researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, inspired by the repellent quality of lotus leaves, have created a material that mimics this ability but with oil. It could be used to protect rocket and airplane parts that can be ruined by fuel, like rubber gaskets and O-rings.The pair, chemical engineer Robert E. Cohen and mechanical engineer Gareth H. McKInley, both researchers at MIT, used an electrospinning process to develop a tissue-like material composed of microfibers with bumps and nubs surrounded by pockets of air-not unlike the structure of the water-dwelling lotus plant. When the oil hits the material, it forms droplets that rest atop the fibers without soaking the material. Now that's a slick trick.-THOMAS K.GROSE
Copyright AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION Mar 2008
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Most Popular Articles in Reference
- The importance of understanding organizational culture
- Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students
- What factors attract foreign direct investment?
- Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...
- How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques
- More »