Lotus effect shakes off dirt

The lotus - a flowering wetland plant native to Asia - may not, at first glance, be of interest to you. But researchers at MacBRITE Chemical Ltd. developped a car wax that mimics the way lotus leaves repel water droplets and particles of dirt.

Lotus plants have superhydrophobic surfaces: water droplets falling onto them bead up and, if the surface slopes slightly, will roll off. As a result, the surfaces stay dry even during a heavy shower. What's more, the droplets pick up small particles of dirt as they roll, so that the lotus leaves are self-cleaning.

MacBRITE's lotos autopolish combines nanoparticles with hydrophobic polymers such as polypropylene, polyethylene and waxes. As it dries, the coating develops a lotosstructure through self-assembly. The self-cleaning car may soon be a reality.

Contents: 500ml