Aussie scientists create "revolutionary" new waterproofing material

Australian scientists have developed a revolutionary "spray-on" waterproofing material, which they say could change how consumers protect everything from phones and shoes to ships and airplanes.

Scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) have created a material which has a "remarkable ability" to repel water, and William Wong from the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory at the ANU Research School of Engineering said it was much more effective than previous waterproofing materials as the team blended two plastics - one tough and one flexible.

"The surface is a layer of nanoparticles, which water slides off as if it's on a hot barbecue," Wong said on Thursday.

"It's like two interwoven fishing nets, made of different materials."

Meanwhile lead researcher and head of the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Antonio Tricoli said the material would not only have commercial applications, but uses in everyday life as well.

"It will keep skyscraper windows clean and prevent the mirror in the bathroom from fogging up," Tricoli said.

"The key innovation is that this transparent coating is able to stabilize very fragile nanomaterials resulting in ultra-durable nanotextures with numerous real-world applications."

The team believes it is cheaper and more efficient to create this new material compared to previous waterproofing formulas, while it is also expected to last much longer than existing products.

"A lot of the functional coatings today are very weak, but we will be able to apply the same principles to make robust coatings that are, for example, anti-corrosive, self-cleaning or oil-repellent," Wong said. Endit