ARLINGTON, Va.—It can repel water, oil, alcohol and even peanut butter. And it might save the U.S. Navy millions of dollars in ship fuel costs, reduce the amount of energy that vessels consume and improve operational efficiency.
Tuteja's omniphobic coating could be a solution. Picture two ships sailing at the same speed—one dealing with friction drag and the other covered in a coating that causes water to bead up and slide off the hull easily. The coated vessel theoretically would guzzle less fuel because it doesn't have to fight as much water resistance while maintaining speed.
While repellent coatings aren't new, it's hard to create one that resists most liquids and is tough enough to stick to various surfaces for long periods of time. Take a Teflon-coated pan, for example. Water will bead up and roll off the pan, while cooking oil will spread everywhere.
This work, Repellent Research: Navy Developing Ship Coatings to Reduce Fuel, Energy Costs, by Warren Duffie, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.