Ant collective behavior is so efficient and sophisticated that it influences its own set of ants. algorithmFire ants are no slouches either. In fact, they have their own world record. The largest man-made structure ever recorded, a 230,000-square-kilometer “city” in Brazil. But it’s their teamwork he skills, not their architectural prowess, that made them headline this article is why they survived. A few weeks ago we took the properties of the lotus leaf as a source of inspiration. hydrophobic materialthis time it’s Fire Ant’s turn as inspiration for creating unsinkable shipResearchers took inspiration from them to create a new type of metal surface that is virtually unsinkable. this is, future ship?
Guo Chun-LiA professor of optics and physics at the University of Rochester, he developed this metal based on the hydrophobicity of fire ants. That is, they can repel water and create air bubbles under their bodies, as happens with ants, spiders, and other insects. can survive and reach inaccessible places to find food.
Based on this principle, Guo superhydrophobic materialHis team is working on femtosecond bursts of lasers (10-15 s) Etch two aluminum surfaces with complex nanoscale patterns. superhydrophobic surfaceAn article they published in the scientific journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces called them “multifaceted superhydrophobic” surfaces. Laboratory tests have proven that with two of these surfaces facing each other at the right distance, the structure remains buoyant even after being submerged in water for two months.this New hydrophobic material It keeps floating even when drilling.In addition to being a cornerstone of shipbuilding materials, its creators say that as manufacturing processes are scaled up to new materials and use more powerful lasers, the technology could be used to protect electronic devices. I think. You can check the properties of the new metal this video.
superhydrophobic submarine
Guo’s technical project is not the first time science and engineering have advanced Hydrophobic materials for marine applicationsIn 2018, the University of Michigan announced it was developing a new superhydrophobic coating for submarines that is simply sprayed onto the hull. Practical application of this material is still several years away, new material It can greatly improve the efficiency of submarines. First, it reduces drag, one of her main contributors to fuel consumption. This increases the speed and range of submarines, as well as other boats and vessels that do not sink.of technology It is the result of years of research into materials with optimal durability in harsh environments such as the open ocean.
sauce: University of Rochester
