Product Inspiration

LED light bulbs, while great, still fall behind other light bulbs in the amount of light they give off, and in the ugly color of light that is emitted. Well, that may soon be a thing of the past, as researchers have recently shown that a nanocrystal coating applied to the outside of the bulb both increases the amount of light given off, and turns it into a much more natural color.

Its been said that LEDs will eventually replace all other light bulbs, but I’ve always been skeptical given the ugly colors and weak light output of the models so far. If this new technology proves to be both true and cheap enough to mass-produce, I may be proven very wrong in a few years.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/nanocrystal-coating-led-lightb ulbs.php

With recent advancements in the manufacture of nano-size coatings and particles, there is a growing number of products which offer “self-cleaning” capabilities. Some of these products are simply hydrophobic (repels water), so that no sticky liquids collect on the surfaces. Others incorporate nanoparticles of silver to kill any bacteria which land on them. In particular, these silver nanoparticles have made quite an impact, and are now in everything from door handles to pens to infant shoes.

These particular products use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which reacts with light to break down any organic material. So far, the nanoparticle coating has been applied to bathroom fixtures and windows. Much like the silver nanoparticle boom, I bet we will see a bunch more applications where titanium dioxide particles are used to keep surfaces clean, such as on cars, patio furniture, and even perhaps clothing.

Where else would it be nice to have a self-cleaning product?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4696434.stm

http://corporateportal.ppg.com/NA/Glass/ResidentialGlass/Homeowners/Pr oductInformation/SunClean/

Hydrophobic products like Rain-X “repel” water, usually by preventing the droplet’s surface tension from being ruptured. In the last year or two, there’s been a bunch of improvements to this science, ranging from nano-etching small bumps in glass (the gaps between the bumps are too small for water to fit), to super-hydrophobic coatings like this.

With something like this that repels water so effectively, there are opportunities to improve everything from outdoor equipment to precision lubricated surfaces. Best of all, this powder appears to be very cheap to manufacture, so perhaps we’ll see some new waterproof gadgets in the not-so-distant future.

http://www.tfot.info/news/1097/super-water-repellent.html

This new coating protects concrete from water-related damage, one of the biggest causes of failure and wear in buildings and roads. The coating is actually a powder of materials which fill in the cracks and voids in the concrete, and form a strong, impenetrable layer on the outside of the concrete. While the implications of this new technology may not be super wide reaching (crack prevention in other materials?), the ability to extend the life of a concrete structure may save loads of money for businesses and governments.

http://www.tfot.info/pod/1087/waterproof-concrete.html

Silver is a strong antibacterial agent which kills any germs which come into contact with it. A few years ago, some researchers came up with a relatively cheap way to make nano-size particles of silver, which has lead to lots of new products with the tag ‘antibacterial’. These new products include pens at the bank, handles on public doors, and various other communal objects.

Paint is the newest product to bring in silver nanoparticles for antibacterial properties. While pens and door handles may keep germs from transferring from one person to another, an entire room of antibacterial walls could significantly reduce the overall germ count in any room.

Now that there is a very easy and cheap way to make practically any device kill germs, I bet we will see many more handheld and communal objects come out that are antibacterial. What else would you like to keep germ-free?

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/dust_repellant_paint.php