The effects of water damage on your smartphone, or any electronic device for that matter, are usually final. In other words, unless the old “buried in rice” trick works, it’s time to buy a new one. While there are a variety of cases and wraps available which offer a degree of protection against liquid damage, nothing comes close to the potential of Ross Nanotechnology’s incredible NeverWet coating.
When water hits a NeverWet-coated product or item, it simply beads and rolls off the surface just like the proverbial duck’s back. It’s not just water it repels either, as the silicon-based spray sees everything from oil to ketchup instantly fall away. It’s all thanks to the product’s very high contact angle, a measurement used to define hydrophobicity, which sits at almost 175 degrees. In comparison, a waxed car or Teflon-coated pan is rated at 90 and 95 degrees, respectively.
Another area that differentiates NeverWet from other waterproof products is its resilience to wear-and-tear, as proven by an experiment where a metal panel was left submerged in seawater for a year, before coming out completely dry and with no corrosion. The coating also works as an anti-icing agent and forms an antibacterial shield, too.
Applications for NeverWet are endless, from clothing to aircraft components, but we’re most interested in what it could do for waterproofing our gadgets. Ross Nanotechnology has already conducted a test using an Apple iPhone; after being coated with NeverWet, it spent 30 minutes underwater and never stopped working. Seeing as the majority of water-based excursions our gadgets take measure less than 30 seconds before they’re hastily retrieved, this could save a lot of heartache.
Check out the amazing videos showing NeverWet in action below, and just imagine it combined with the wonders of Gorilla Glass for protecting against a watery end to your phone.
