Bubble, bubble, toil and … actually not too much trouble.

Check out these ball bearings covered in a superhydrophobic coating, which allows the water to boil without the formation of violent bubbles. You know how when water droplets hit a hot pan, they skim across its surface? That’s because they form a layer of water vapor that provides them with a “pad” of sorts. 

This superhydrophobic coating on these superheated balls is doing a similar thing, preventing the formation of microbubbles that would normally lead to lots of fizzy, boiling action. Instead an even layer of water vapor is created and neatly floats away.

Here’s some more superhydrophobicity, in GIF form!

(via SciTech Daily)

Source: scitechdaily.com

Ever Seen Water Droplets Bounce Before?

Superhydrophobic surfaces are those which repel water to such a degree that droplets roll right off. The forces of surface tension actually overtake the friction of the surface the droplet rests on, and this is what keep the droplets from wetting.

This carbon nanotube surface is one of those superhydrophobes. The good stuff starts around 0:30 in. I’ve never seen water droplets act like rubber balls before! Here’s the original research paper from the Cal Tech group that put this together, if you feel like digging in.