Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 become water-proof with this new $20 nanotechnology

You can now turn your iPhone 5 – and practically any other gadget, including the Samsung Galaxy S4 – water-resistant with this new product from Ross Nanotechnology.

Branded and marketed as NeverWet, this spray promises to create a superhydrophobic barrier on top of any product that it is sprayed upon, and voila, that thing that you sprayed NeverWet on will, well, never get wet again!

And it isn’t just water, but you could dip your iPhone in any liquid – say, a chocolate spread or Vimto – and NeverWet will work, o questions asked.

The Rust-Oleum NeverWet is liquid repelling treatment for practically anything by making the metal ‘superhydrophobic’. When any liquid hits the superhydrophobic barrier created by NeverWet, it forms beads that roll of the surface without clinging on. This is often referred to as the Lotus effect.

Check out this video that shows, among other things, the iPhone taking a dunk test:

The company claims to have developed surfaces that are hydrophobic, superhydrophobic and superoleophobic. “NeverWet has developed the most durable superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings,” it says in a white paper on industrial coatings.

“NeverWet coatings are not only durable but can also be applied to many substrates such as various metals and alloys, rubber, ceramics, and fabrics. The coatings can be applied to both simple and complex contoured shapes,” it says.

The company claims to have tested the product under tough conditions and found it suitable for use – in a wind turbine at 68 miles/hour under simulated steam turbine water condensing conditions, up to 205-degree C (400-degree F) for long periods and can have temperature transients of up to 288-defree C (550-degree F), as well as dipped it in liquid Nitrogen. “The sample was still superhydrophobic,” it maintains.

The product is available in Home Depot stores in the US for $19.99 (Dh74), but isn’t yet available in the UAE.