Creating Superhydrophobic Glass

OK.  Many years have passed since Repcon.  Most of you out there have never even heard of this product.  It was first created for jet aircraft.  Then came RainX.  Next The Invisible Shield.  These three at that time were owned by the same company.  Over in the UK at about the same time from a completely different company came Clear Shield.  Now over thirty years has passed since this time.  However the chemistry used for these products is still known and in use.

Many other products and systems have been developed in later years.  Based on somewhat different chemistries such as cross linking siloxanes, organofluorochlorosilanes, and silane functionalized silica nanoparticles.  As it turns out hydrophobic glass surfaces are not too difficult to create.  However superhydrophobic surfaces are somewhat more challenging.  It has been learned from studying the nanoscopic surface of the lotus leaf that more is involved than just chemistry.  The physical surface must have a certain 'structure'.  When the right chemistry is coupled with this then contact angles greater than 150 degrees can be attained.  Superhydrophobicity can be tested also by whether water drops will roll down a clean surface at only a 10 degree angle.

The benefits of such 'new' surfaces are many.  First they will resist hard water spots, paint, wood stains, grease, and other chemistries.  They also improve vision during rain storms.  Especially if applied to vehicular vision glass.  The right treatments will resist scratches making glass and mirror mar resistant.  Likewise superhydrophobic window cleaning is a breeze.  It completely eliminates the need for squeegees and hence the skill factor.  Microfiber applicators can be used inside.  And a simple garden hose will do the outside.  Throw away your store bought cleaners that just coat windows with soap creating filmy glass.  Pure water is all you'll need.  However superhydrophobic systems and products to the best of my knowledge, have not yet made it to the flat glass market.  But the hydrophobic business is alive and well.

If you want to receive the benefits of hydrophobic coatings you will need a window cleaning company that is Glass Smart.  This kind of Window Cleaning company knows exactly how to attain the most effective, and long lasting coating possible.  All surfaces must be activated first before applying the coating. Also each coating is different for different reasons. You should also know that hydrophobic glass is truly not 'self cleaning'. Windows will still get dirty and spotted.  Thus they will still need to be cleaned.  Which can be done with microfiber applicator/wipes or the garden hose if your water isn't hard.  It is also true that under certain conditions inside surfaces can become filmy quicker than if there were no coating applied at all.  In fact if that surface were 'structured' correctly, without any coating at all;...it will appear to stay cleaner longer.  This can be proven over a span of just a month or two by a simple experiment on your window.  Now these are the kind of things a company that sells hydrophobic glass coatings/treatments will absolutely NOT tell you.  But a Glass Smart window cleaning company will.  It pays to listen to the independant contractor/consultant.

Written by Henry Grover Jr

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