Hydrophobic (water-repelling) coatings have numerous applications, from protecting critical infrastructure to developing stain-repellant textiles. New advances in material science are making it possible to design smart, functional coatings that combine hydrophobic properties with added functionality for specific industrial, consumer, medical or military applications. Here’s a look at how these smart coatings are made and how they may be used in the future.
What do we mean by a “smart” or functional coating? Simply put, it’s a coating that has been engineered to react to its environment in specific ways. Functional coatings can be created to respond to specific stimuli such as the presence of water or other chemicals, or physical stimuli such as temperature, electricity or light.