A research team has recreated a waterproof coating by combining animal fat with waste products from the paper industry.
Joshua Yuan said that plants use a structure called suberin to transport water across very long distances. The team spray-coated a slurry resembling suberin onto cotton, metal, and glass surfaces. The new structure proved resistant to mechanical wear and contamination by limescale.
Testing showed the coating demonstrated a level of water resistance similar to state-of-the-art forever chemical coatings like PTFE. Carlo Antonini said the material could be a good alternative because textiles will be one of the first sectors affected by PFAS restrictions. Because the coating has a lower heat tolerance compared with PTFE, bakeware is currently off the table.
The team showed their nature-inspired material broke down completely, without releasing harmful residues into the environment.
Zuilhof said, "They’ve basically turned a waste product into something valuable, and that's quite cool."
