Tag Archives: fluorine

A Material that Most Liquids Won’t Wet

By Guest PostJanuary 25, 2013Scienceair conditioners, air force, air repels, alcohols, anish tuteja, arun kota, blood, bounce off, breathable garments, carbon, chlorofluorocarbons, clays, custards, electric charge, electrospinning, fine particles, fluorine, interaction force, joseph mabry, liquid, liquid resisting, liquid solution, nanoscale coating, nanoscale cubes, non newtonian category, oils, organic acids, organic bases, oxygen, paints, pdms, polydimethylsiloxane, printer inks, refrigerators, rocket propulsion division, rubbery plastic particles, shampoos, shuaijun pan, silicon, solid, solid surface, solvents, stain resistant clothes, sulfuric acids, superomniphobic surface, surface tension, technique, toxic hydrochloric, university of michigan, van der waals, viscosity, waterproof paints

ANN ARBOR — A nanoscale coating that’s at least 95 percent air repels the broadest range of liquids of any material in its class, causing them to bounce off the treated surface, according to the University of Michigan engineering researchers who developed it.

In addition to super stain-resistant clothes, the coating could lead to breathable garments to protect soldiers and scientists from chemicals, and advanced waterproof paints that dramatically reduce drag on ships. (more…)

Air Above Dead Sea Contains Very High Levels of Oxidized Mercury

By Guest PostNovember 30, 2010Environmentatmosphere, bromine, chlorine, daniel obrist, dead sea, fluorine, global ecosystems, halogens, hebrew, iodine, mercury, non-metal elements, oxidized mercury, polar regions, potent neurotoxin, sea of salt, yam ha-melah

*First such levels measured outside polar regions*

In Hebrew, the Dead Sea is called Yam ha-Melah, the “sea of salt.” Now measurements show that the sea’s salt has profound effects on the chemistry of the air above its surface.

The atmosphere over the Dead Sea, researchers have found, is laden with oxidized mercury. Some of the highest levels of oxidized mercury ever observed outside the polar regions exist there. (more…)