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Tough water-repellent coating could lead to faster ships
You've no doubt seen footage of water-repellent coatings that seemingly defy the laws of nature. However, they have a catch: they're often too fragile to be useful in situations where they're likely to face a lot of abuse, whether it's the clothes on your back or a ship on the ocean. Researchers may finally have a solution that's tough enough to survive these conditions, however. They've developed a coating whose combination of fluorinated polyurethane elastomer and a complex, extremely hydrophobic molecule can self-heal "hundreds" of times despite phenomenal levels of abuse. It'll recover from direct strikes, burns, chemical attacks and even ultrasonic blasts.
