Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials have developed designs for heat exchangers that combine anti - adhesive , anti - corrosive and antimicrobial properties to make cleaning processes much easier . The team used hydrophobic structures similar to Teflon , structures that act as a protective barrier and added colloidal copper to create a coating that would be resistant to corrosion and fungi , but also compatible with industrial - based cleaning agents . The team said the coating , which can be sprayed on to stainless steel , steel , titanium or aluminium , could also be used in water - treatment plants .
Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials have developed nanocoatings for heat exchangers that combine anti-adhesive, anti-corrosive and antimicrobial properties to make cleaning processes much easier. The team used hydrophobic compounds similar to Teflon, structures that act as a diffusion barrier and added colloidal copper to create a coating that would be resistant to corrosion and fungi, but also cope with industrial-strength cleaning agents. The team said the coating, which can be sprayed on to stainless steel, steel, titanium or aluminium, could also be used in water-purification plants.