They invented spray-on glass.

[dadevvtsvre]

http://www.physorg.com/news184310039.html

Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything.

The liquid glass spray (technically termed “SiO2 ultra-thin layering”) consists of almost pure silicon dioxide (silica, the normal compound in glass) extracted from quartz sand. Water or ethanol is added, depending on the type of surface to be coated. There are no additives, and the nano-scale glass coating bonds to the surface because of the quantum forces involved. According to the manufacturers, liquid glass has a long-lasting antibacterial effect because microbes landing on the surface cannot divide or replicate easily.

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids. UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.

In the home, spray-on glass would eliminate the need for scrubbing and make most cleaning products obsolete. Since it is available in both water-based and alcohol-based solutions, it can be used in the oven, in bathrooms, tiles, sinks, and almost every other surface in the home, and one spray is said to last a year.

Liquid glass spray is perhaps the most important nanotechnology product to emerge to date. It will be available in DIY stores in Britain soon, with prices starting at around £5 ($8 US). Other outlets, such as many supermarkets, may be unwilling to stock the products because they make enormous profits from cleaning products that need to be replaced regularly, and liquid glass would make virtually all of them obsolete.

This sounds really cool, and just goes to show how far we've come in nanotechnology. I think this next decade is going to bring some major advancements in the nanotech field, especially with new substances such as graphene (a sheet of interwoven carbon atoms that's one atom thick) that will completely revolutionize computers. We're going to see a lot of changes in our everyday lives, even.

The first thing I think of when I hear "spray-on glass" if of course the medical problems associated with it; namely, silicosis. Also, there would likely be a lot of idiots using it for the wrong things, although this can be said with more or less any household chemical. The thought of making the majority of cleaning products virtually obsolete is somewhat unnerving, but I won't really miss conventional cleaning. I worry sometimes that we're becoming lazier and lazier, letting technology do once normal tasks for us, but I digress. The incredibly cheap price (mostly due to the abundance of quartz) makes this pretty damn cool!

I wonder how long the glass coating could last? Like, spraying a counter - would wiping it every day eventually wear away the glass?

Regardless, this is awesome, especially for a nanotech enthusiast like me. :specs: What do you guys think?

 

[psiclone]

So, wait.. what are you supposed to spray this on? To me, the most annoying thing to clean is the carpet, but I don't see this being used on a carpet..

 

[dadevvtsvre]

From what I see, it's mostly flat surfaces like countertops, sinks, tiles, etc. I could also see a lot of uses in industry (like having a coating sprayed on computers or smartphones for extra protection)

I'm not sure if it could actually be used on fabric, but if it could, imagine how much easier it would be to clean carpets, cloths, couches...

 

[Venetia]

The liquid glass coating is breathable, which means it can be used on plants and seeds. Trials in vineyards have found spraying vines increases their resistance to fungal diseases, while other tests have shown sprayed seeds germinate and grow faster than untreated seeds, and coated wood is not attacked by termites. Other vineyard applications include coating corks with liquid glass to prevent “corking” and contamination of wine. The spray cannot be seen by the naked eye, which means it could also be used to treat clothing and other materials to make them stain-resistant. McClelland said you can “pour a bottle of wine over an expensive silk shirt and it will come right off”.

what

this is amazing 8O

 

[regi]

Reading some of the comments, a lot of people seem to be worried about potential health risks-- like silica particles accumulating in your lungs. I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject, but doing more safety tests and trials (or some comments from more educated folks here) would alleviate fears.

That aside, though, this seems incredibly cool and useful, making those chores so much easier.

 

[Tindy]

I have a feeling the can will have a massive amount of warnings on the side (Use only in a well-ventilated room away from any strong drafts. Always use a drywall-grade or higher mask when using this product. Has been proven in the state of California to cause certain cancers. Keep away from children.) That alone is nearly enough to me mostly away from it, as well as potential safety issues. I know that it's flexible and thin and all that, but still...imagine when you're spraying your counter there's a miniscule...I dunno, grain of salt on the counter. Will it stick to the counter? Will it get really effing sharp? I mean I've glazed pottery (basically this but 10000x thicker - about...I dunno, 0.5cm) and if you have anything slightly pointy in the pottery it becomes like a dagger.

 

[Venetia]

You guys are only seeing the small picture! Even if it isn't made for general household use, just think about the applications in the medical or agricultural departments! This could be fucking huge :O

 

[Incognitus]

You know, I'm actually disappointed to open this topic and find it has nothing to do with windows. Spray-on windows would be awesome.

But I hope it does work on fabrics: wearing clothes with a layer of glass... :biggrin: