Nanotech Coating Prevents Fogging 201
MilSF1 writes "MIT scientists have applied for a patent on a coating process that reduces or eliminates fogging on glass surfaces (car windshields, eyeglasses, etc). The new coating was described today at the 230th national meeting of the American Chemical Society."
awsome (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I wonder... (Score:3, Insightful)
Humidity is still there - just not in the form of little droplets.
Filing for patents? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm not a raging anti-patent looney screaming about the need for a free utopioan society, but if funding for this was provided by the public, surely the results belong to the public and the methods belong in the public domain rather than to MIT for the next 17-34 years.
woof.
Re:Solve a Real Problem (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:So why is this being called nanotech? (Score:5, Insightful)
The current state of the art of nanotech is not nanobots that can cure cancer. That's just what people speculate might come out of this technology, but how often is such exhuberance warranted? where's my flying car?
Also, by the way, something one micron across would be microtech by definition, not nanotech, but that's more me being a stickler than informative...
Re:Fog-X (Score:2, Insightful)
If there is an object with a temperature below the dew point, water will condense on it, regardless of what the surface is like.
Ski Goggles (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I wonder... (Score:2, Insightful)
It's rice. And it's stupid. And it has nothing to do with cooling your machine in a practical or efficient manner.
Re:Already excists for several years (Score:3, Insightful)
Those products appear to be using (a) an attachable "sticker" or (b) a spray. Neither of which I would call particularly permanent. Anti-fog coatings (in general) have been around for years. The concept of applying them at manufacturing time using the particular process detailed in TFA is presumably the novel basis on which they are applying for a patent. If not, one would hope the Patents office will deny them the patent.
From TFA:
"The team has developed a unique polymer coating - made of silica nanoparticles - that they say can create surfaces that never fog."
"Some stores carry special anti-fog sprays that help reduce fogging on the inside of car windows, but the sprays must be constantly reapplied to remain effective."
So yes, I'm guessing they did do their background research. Did you, before posting? For example, by reading TFA?
Re:So why is this being called nanotech? (Score:4, Insightful)
Nanotech is a buzzword. It doesn't really mean anything. It's never meant anything. It's just a new word used by chemists, solid state physicists, and others to get funding and excitement around the same stuff they've been doing for quite some time.
Been using FogX for years (Score:3, Insightful)
The real issue (Score:2, Insightful)
They are to make the solution permanent and durable and...
To make the solution of a material that will not distort your vision when looking through the surface of the material.
So yes, you could apply rain-X every month or wipe shaving cream on your surface or even make sure the surface is vented or heat the surface. However having a permanent coating on it that prevents fogging and makes it easy to see through is the best solution.