A breakthrough that could make ships nearly unsinkable
More than a century after the Titanic, the dream of unsinkable ships is still alive, and scientists may be closer than ever.
More than 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, the idea of ships that cannot sink continues to motivate engineers. Researchers at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics have now taken a significant step toward that long-standing goal. They have developed a technique that makes ordinary metal tubes unsinkable -- meaning the tubes stay afloat regardless of how long they remain underwater or how much damage they sustain. The work was led by Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics and physics and a senior scientist at URochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Guo and his colleagues detailed the new method in a study published in Advanced Functional Materials. Their approach focuses on modifying the inside surface of aluminum tubes by etching it to create microscopic and nanoscale pits. This textured surface becomes superhydrophobic, allowing it to strongly repel water and remain dry.
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