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. In their study, published in Nature Communications, they found that these coatings could clean up to 95 percent of industrial surfaces without damaging them.
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.