IIT-Hyderabad faculty develops water repellent material using

The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad faculty have developedwater repellent structures that mimic the characteristics of lotus leaves and rose petals using fly ash-an industrial waste product.

Such 'super hydrophobic' structures have significant industrial applications such as anti-fouling paints, anti-sticking surfaces for antennae, self-cleaning coatings for automobiles, stain-resistant textiles among others, a press release from the institute said on Thursday.

Not only is the water repellent product much cheaper than other super hydrophobic coatings developed so far, but also serves towards up-cycling an industrial waste material fly ash into an industrially useful product, which serves the double purpose of side-revenue and waste management.

This research was jointly undertaken by Mudrika Khandelwal and Atul Suresh Deshpande, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad.

Their research paper, co-authored with Urbashi Mahanta, was recently published in the reputed peer-reviewed journal Chemistry Select, the release added.