article_snippet: The breakthrough, by chemists at University College London, comes after years of research into highly water-resistant - or ‘superhydrophobic’ - substances.
article_snippet: Or The substance might be used on the hulls of boats, reducing friction with the water, allowing more speed and requiring less fuel.
article_snippet: PhD student Yao Lu, whose lab work at UCL contributed to the breakthrough, has shown in a series of tests that the substance can be applied to the threads of textiles which could allow the substance to be used to create waterproof and stainproof clothes.
article_snippet: Mr Lu demonstrated that cotton-wool coated with the substance could be dipped into blue coloured dye and yet emerge pristine white.
article_snippet: The experts demonstrated that cotton-wool coated with the substance could be dipped into blue coloured dye and yet emerge pristine white (pictured).
article_snippet: Brigham Young University researchers in Utah recently created a technique to make any surface super-waterproof by adding tiny structures to the surface instead.
article_snippet: Researchers claim it could be used to make solar panels, ships and planes waterproof .