A superhydrophobic coating developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory could dramatically lessen a multi-billion dollar problem that affects underwater machines, watercraft, submarines, water intakes, offshore drilling rigs and countless other types of equipment and machinery. Corrosion and biofouling costs the government and private sector upward of $276 billion, according to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. The ORNL superhydrophobic surface can be used for a variety of metal, plastic and wooden surfaces and significantly reduce the costs of maintenance and restoration of materials exposed to corrosive environments. While researchers plan to perform additional durability tests, results obtained in harsh conditions over four months are encouraging. The material was developed by a team led by John Simpson.
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