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Self-Cleaning Glass
Chris writes "Consumers across Europe can now purchase self-cleaning glass that promises to keep windows free from dirt. The key to Activ glass is an ultra-thin coating only 40nm thick applied to the glass surface during the manufacturing process. The coating, which is based on titanium dioxide, works by combining the two beneficial effects. First, the ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight react with a photocatalyst to break down organic debris on the glass. The second feature is that the coating is hydrophilic, meaning that when rain hits the glass, it doesn't form droplets. Rain water flows down the glass in a sheet and washes the dirt away."
When are they going to make my plates and cups self-cleaning too?
... but last night I swear they were serving my beer in a self-emptying glass, and that was much less convenient. This morning, my hangover suggests that I may have been helping out.
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Unfortunately for us all, if you're holding on to the glass, you're blocking the sunlight necessary for the reaction to work -- and while it may work well for the typical dust and grime particle, I'm sure you'll admit that you're _considerably_ thicker than a layer of dust.
Sounds like this would be good for Mars rovers and the like. One of the problems that we have with rovers is that the glass on the photo cells get dirty and degrades the power output of the cells. I know that it doesnt rain on Mars, but this glass and some wind might prevent the degredation from reaching beyond some critical value.
Welcome to the land of the free...pay toll ahead...no photography...please open your bag...
One cleaner was quoted as saying "as soon as everyone installs these Windows, the traditional squeegee and soap solutions which anyone can use will become extinct. These Windows will dominate the market, leaving only the poor and art-glass people to come up with truly community spirit based solutions with work for great glass cleaning engineers"
Then the skyscraper windowcleaner lift corporation also came in on the act "we can't fit these 'scrapers with our traditional pulley systems any more... sales are plummeting"
Cowboy Neal still manages to stain his new glass though.
Conversion Rate Optimisation French / English consultant
No, I'm pretty sure that it is hydrophilic. Hydrophobic means it repels water, which would cause the water to form droplets, in order to reduce the surface area. Since it's hydrophilic, the water is attracted to the coating, which makes the water sheet.
-David Ziegler
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That would be a hydrophobic coating. Hydrophilic attracts moisture.
You're on the right track, but reaching the wrong conclusion. A hydrophobic material would cause water to bead up on the surface, as the adhesiveness of the material would be much less than the cohesiveness of the water. This is a hydrophilic material, at least in a sense, because the water adheres to the surface so well that it counters the cohesiveness of the water. I say in a sense, because I think a hydrophilic material usually absorbs water.
Of course, I could be totally off.
"...At the end of the day"..."when everyone goes home, you're stuck with yourself." RIP Layne Staley
A few weeks ago I found out that there was a dead bird in my chimney (sp?). I only found out when there where hundreds of flies in my house, all covering the windows. All the shops were closed, so I couldn't buy a spraycan with which to kill all the flies. Openening the windows didn't do the trick so the only viable option left was to swat them. You should have seenm those windows after I was finished. Lots of organic debris on the glass, but there isn't a self-cleaning window in the world that could keep itself clean with a carnage like this.
PPG is one of the largest manufacturers of residential windows and they have produced windows using the self-cleaning coating for several years now.
http://www.ppg.com/gls_sunclean/
maru
You wouldn't want this on your car windows. It would have the opposite effect that RainX produces. Visibility during rain would be very bad.
42
According to Google there are over 1500 references to self cleaning glass, quite a few manufacters are already selling it, Pilkinton (uk glass company) and Sunclean seem to be the market leaders though Pilkington seem to claim "the worlds first". The BBC reported this technology in 2001, in 2002 Saint-Gobain Glass won a Siemens Award for innovation for their version
http://www.ppgsunclean.com/
http://www.activglass.com/
http://www.afgglass.com
http://www.saint-gobain-glass.com
One step closer to transparent aluminum.
(Hello... Computer?)
M@
Krispy Cream is people
...which in turn cleaned the window.
With this stuff, we won't need any jizz-moppers anymore! Read on:
Randal: [reading magazine] Have you ever wondered how much the average jizz-mopper makes per hour?
Dante: What's a jizz-mopper?
Randal: He's the guy that cleans up the nudie booth after each guy jerks off.
Dante: Nudie booth?
Randal: Yeah, nudie booth. You've never been in a nudie booth?
Dante: I guess not.
Randal: Oh, it's great. There's this glass wall between you and these chicks, and they put on a show for you for like 10 bucks.
Dante: What kinda show? [customer walks up to counter]
Randal: They do the weirdest, craziest shit you like to see chicks do. They insert things into any opening on their body-ANY opening.
Dante: Could we not talk about this now?
Randal: The jizz-mopper's job is to clean off the glass after each guy shoots a load. I don't know if you noticed, but cum leaves streaks if you don't clean it right away.
Customer: I will never come to this place again!
Dante: I'm sorry? [I could have sworn he says 'excuse me']
Customer: Using filthy language in front of the customers, you both should be fired.
Dante: I'm sorry, I guess we got carried away.
Customer: I don't know if sorry could make up for it, you've highly offended me.
Randal:Well, if you think that's offensive, check this out! [shows him graphic picture from porn mag] I think you can see her kidneys!
Customer: Aaaaargh!
One extra insight -- what does the customer bring up to the counter?? You guessed it! Paper towels and glass cleaner! Hahaha, what an incredible movie
Berto
Is this slated for use in car windshields? If so, I wonder how this will affect the detection range of radar detectors.
A few years ago, there was a study of cars with windshields that use certain tinting and weatherproofing that (incadently) reduces the efficency of radar detectors, cutting detection range from 60-80%. There's some info on it here, and a bit more info here.
-Turkey
coat my 16 month old son with this? He gets dirty within 30 seconds of coming out of the bath.
;-]
Please make sure to leave air and sight holes.
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There are three kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.
(sorry, couldn't resist)
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Solar cells unfortunately need the UV light to fuction properly
That's not true. The spectra of radiation that can be converted to energy by a solar cell is directly related to the bandgap energy of the material the cell is made from, and there is an optimum (for efficiency) bandgap that corresponds to the visible spectrum of light. Most solar cells do not convert significant energy in the UV area of the spectrum
That's part of the reason that solar cells are quoted as being only 10-15% efficient. That's of the total solar spectrum. Most are better than 50% efficient within the relatively narrow part of the spectrum that they are tuned for.
For a little more information, see the ever popular How Stuff Works.