Good news for housewives and housebands: washing the dishes after a meal may soon be passe, after researchers developed self-cleaning plates with a liquid-resistant coating.
Swedish scientists Hanna Billqvist and Anna Glansén developed a prototype plate and bowl set coated with a “self-cleaning” coating that makes it resistant to dirt and liquids, Smithsonian.com reported.
"The innovative tableware is comprised of a special variation, known as nanocellulose, that’s not only lightweight and malleable, but also durable enough to withstand accidental drops. In fact, the wonder material's strength is on par with Kevlar, a synthetic fiber that’s used in manufacturing bulletproof vests and other impact-resistant products," it said.
It added the material can be shaped into dining sets via a flexible sheet that can be heat-pressed into a mold.
Designers can even decorate the bowl using a marbling technique, to give it a blended blue-and-white glazed appearance.
Glansén added the self-cleaning plate and bowl are not only safe, but work on water and oil-based foods.
She said cleaning just involves turning it sideways or upside down over a sink.
"There are products on the market that are superhydrophobic coatings, but they cannot be used in connection to food, and they are made from other chemicals. This new technique is based on natural substances," she said.
The researchers developed the prototypes in collaboration with Stockholm-based natural materials research firm Innventia and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
For now, Innventia holds the rights to the project and is exploring if it is practical to bring it to consumers.
On the other hand, the Swedish Forest Industries Federation commissioned the project.
Hydrophobic coating
A super-hydrophobic coating that Glansén describes as all-natural is engineered to mimic the the water-shedding ability of the lotus leaf.
Glansén did not specify how the water-resistant coating works, but Billqvist told design blog Dezeen KTH used a process called Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (RESS) to make the surface superhydrophobic.
Smithsonian.com quoted Billqvist as saying a wax is dissolved in carbon dioxide at high pressure and temperature, then sprayed onto the surface.
Edible concerns
But Smithsonian.com noted the use of hydrophobic technology around edible goods has been a sticky issue, with some voicing concerns about public safety.
It cited the case of Teflon, which the Food and Drug Administration approved for use in cooking food but was processed with perfluorooctanoic acid, which some have linked to an increased risk of cancer and birth defects in animal studies.
Similar containers coming this year?
Meanwhile, Smithsonian.com said similar food-safe hydrophobic containers could be introduced later this year.
It noted researchers at MIT in 2012 invented LiquiGlide, a spray-on, non-toxic, hydrophobic coating that can let sauce containers empty entirely.
Glansén pointed out their technology is meant to be a long-term solution, for products with a "long life-span." — VC, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
