Eco-friendly Self-cleaning Material Tough On Stains, Light On Effort

Cleaning oily smears from kitchen countertops, mirrors, garage floors, and other surfaces with plain water — rather than strong detergents or smelly solvents — may seem like pure fantasy. But scientists in Indiana have described what they believe to be a simple and effective state-of-the-art oil stain remover. They have developed a new coating for glass, plastics, and a range of other materials that would enable consumers to wipe away those pesky oils with plain water.

Their report at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) points out that the same coatings can be added to common window cleaning sprays and used to prevent bathroom mirrors, automobile windshields and other surfaces from fogging up.

“You add water, and the oil just comes right off like magic,” said Jeffrey Youngblood, Ph.D., lead researcher on the project. “These are eco-friendly coatings — environmentally ‘green’ in the sense that they eliminate the need for harsh detergents and solvents in settings ranging from home kitchens to industrial machine shops that must contend with heavy oil spills.”

The materials could be used in a range of consumer and industrial products, Youngblood said. They include household cleaners, easy-to-clean paints, water filters that separate water from oil, sealants for concrete floors and walls that repel oil in home garages and auto repair shops. In addition, anti-fog coatings could be used on windshields or eyewear, including everyday lenses and fog-free scuba masks.

The eco-friendly plastics could reduce the need for detergents containing phosphates. “We put out tons of detergents and phosphates each year,” said Youngblood, adding that the polymer materials also could reduce the use of detergents for laundering clothes. This would cut down on the release of phosphates, which wash into lakes and streams and stimulate growth of algae, depleting oxygen supplies in ways that cause fish kills in waterways and make swimming unsafe for humans.

Read more . . .

Related articles by Zemanta

• ‘Self cleaning’ kitchen work tops could be a reality’Self cleaning’ kitchen work tops could be a reality (innovationtoronto.com)
• Washing machine that uses one cup of water (telegraph.co.uk)

Random Posts:

• Automotive X PRIZE events to begin in Michigan from April 2010
• 3D TV, e-readers and tablet PCs to debut at CES show
• Plastics break down fast in ocean
• ‘Milking’ Microscopic Algae Could Yield Massive Amounts Of Oil
• Antro SOLO human-electric-hybrid aims for double the fun

Related posts:

1. ‘Self cleaning’ kitchen work tops could be a reality’Self cleaning’ kitchen work tops could be a reality
2. Eco-Friendly Way of Decomposing BPA-Containing Plastic
3. New nano-material could lead to self-washing windows and solar panels
4. Environmentally Friendly Acrylic Glass Made Of Sugar: New Enzyme Could Revolutionize Production Of Plastics
5. Non-toxic Hull Coating Resists Barnacles, May Save Ship Owners Millions

Tags: cleaning sprays, concrete floors, garage floors, harsh detergents, heavy oil, home kitchens, household cleaners, Innovation, kitchen countertops, oil stain, phosphates, plain water, polymer materials, stain remover

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pm and is filed under Health, Innovation, Science Digest / Science Daily, environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.