IIT-H develops water repellent material using fly ash

Hyderabad: The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad faculty have developed water repellent structures that mimic the characteristics of lotus leaves and rose petals using fly ash-an industrial waste product.

Such 'super hydrophobic' structures have significant industrial applications such as anti-fouling paints, anti-sticking surfaces for antennae, self-cleaning coatings for automobiles, stain-resistant textiles among others, a press release from the institute said on Thursday.

Not only is the water repellent product much cheaper than other super hydrophobic coatings developed so far, but also serves towards up-cycling an industrial waste material fly ash into an industrially useful product, which serves the double purpose of side-revenue and waste management. This research was jointly undertaken by Mudrika Khandelwal and Atul Suresh Deshpande, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. Their research paper, co-authored with Urbashi Mahanta, was recently published in the reputed peer-reviewed journal Chemistry Select, the release added.