OT: Saarbrücken
computeruser
Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything
February 2, 2010 by Lin Edwards
(PhysOrg.com) -- Spray-on liquid glass is transparent, non-toxic, and
can protect virtually any surface against almost any damage from
hazards such as water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial
infections. The coating is also flexible and breathable, which makes
it suitable for use on an enormous array of products.
The liquid glass spray (technically termed “SiO2 ultra-thin layering”)
consists of almost pure silicon dioxide (silica, the normal compound
in glass) extracted from quartz sand. Water or ethanol is added,
depending on the type of surface to be coated. There are no additives,
and the nano-scale glass coating bonds to the surface because of the
quantum forces involved. According to the manufacturers, liquid glass
has a long-lasting antibacterial effect because microbes landing on
the surface cannot divide or replicate easily.
Liquid glass was invented in Turkey and the patent is held by
Nanopool, a family-owned German company. Research on the product was
carried out at the Saarbrücken Institute for New Materials. Nanopool
is already in negotiations in the UK with a number of companies and
with the National Health Service, with a view to its widespread
adoption.
The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around
100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is
highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally
harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple
wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and
resists heat, UV light and even acids. UK project manager with
Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase
will be coated with liquid glass.
Food processing companies in Germany have already carried out trials
of the spray, and found sterile surfaces that usually needed to be
cleaned with strong bleach to keep them sterile needed only a hot
water rinse if they were coated with liquid glass. The levels of
sterility were higher for the glass-coated surfaces, and the surfaces
remained sterile for months.
Other organizations, such as a train company and a hotel chain in the
UK, and a hamburger chain in Germany, are also testing liquid glass
for a wide range of uses. A year-long trial of the spray in a
Lancashire hospital also produced “very promising” results for a range
of applications including coatings for equipment, medical implants,
catheters, sutures and bandages. The war graves association in the UK
is investigating using the spray to treat stone monuments and grave
stones, since trials have shown the coating protects against
weathering and graffiti. Trials in Turkey are testing the product on
monuments such as the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara.
Hoodoo
(Central Standard Time), spoke thusly:
> Liquid glass was invented in Turkey and the patent is held by
> Nanopool, a family-owned German company. Research on the product was
> carried out at the Saarbr�cken Institute for New Materials. Nanopool
> is already in negotiations in the UK with a number of companies and
> with the National Health Service, with a view to its widespread
> adoption.
In the 1960s, and possibly earlier in the 1950s, my older brothers used
a car wax named 'Liquid Glass.' I recall finding several cans of it in
our basement. I think it may have been sold via multi-level marketing
programs rather than through retail stores.
--
Canine leptospirosis can be a heartbreaker.
<http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/canine-leptospirosis.html>
Trout Mask Replica
Hoodoo
(Central Standard Time), spoke thusly:
> In the 1960s, and possibly earlier in the 1950s, my older brothers
> used a car wax named 'Liquid Glass.' I recall finding several cans of
> it in our basement. I think it may have been sold via multi-level
> marketing programs rather than through retail stores.
Curiosity got the better of me after posting that. A quick 'net search
led me to the webpage located at http://www.liquidglass.com/lgpolish.htm
where I see that the can and label I vaguely recall from over 40 years
ago appears similar to this very day.