Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

Drivers to get perfect view in the wet

31 August 2005

A NANOPARTICLE silica coating could prevent car windows fogging up, making driving safer.

Windows fog up when water droplets condense onto glass, forming tiny beads that scatter light. For obvious reasons this can make driving hazardous. “Our coating is made up of super-water-loving particles,” says developer Michael Rubner of MIT. “These suck in the water, forcing the droplets to flatten over the surface as a sheet, so they no longer scatter light.”

The transparent coating should permanently prevent fogging, says Rubner. And at only 100 nanometres thick, it uses very little material and so should be cheap, he adds. The…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop