Articles

With this new hardener, WACKER is assisting customers in the coatings industry who are increasingly prioritizing sustainability. SILRES® HP 2000 LV can be used to formulate high-solids coatings, for example. Such polysiloxane coatings have a much lower solvent demand and need less-frequent renovation, due to their durability. Furthermore, the fact that SILRES® HP 2000 LV allows for the formulation of two-coat systems conserves resources and improves the sustainability of the coatings.

Researchers from the University of Minho in Portugal started with silicone rubber polymer and added zirconia nanoparticles to make the material attract water molecules. After they rolled the composite material into a thin film, they hardened it with heat and laser-etched a grooved pattern onto the film’s surface that exposed the hydrophilic zirconia nanoparticles. When the film encountered water molecules atop ice, it stuck to the slippery surface because the polymer mimicked the capillary action of slip-resistant gecko footpads.