Self-Cleaning Thermoplastic Sheet

ARLD surfaces are the most robust on the market.

Superhydrophobic surfaces have great potential for highly desirable properties: 

  • As water droplets bead up and roll-off a superhydrophobic surface they carry away dirt particles giving rise to self-cleaning properties.
  • Droplets of freezing rain bounce and roll off superhydrophobic surfaces even when cooled to sub‐zero temperatures, preventing the accretion of ice.  

In response to the market need for inexpensive, durable, abrasion-resistant superhydrophobic surfaces, ARLD has developed technology that starts with commercially available films, cloth or pre-vulcanized rubber and produces durable, superhydrophobic surface(s) without other changes to the base material.  

 
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ARLD technology offers these key advantages:

  • Resistance to mechanical scratching and abrasion, maintaining their self-cleaning properties after thousands of cycles as tested using a Taber reciprocating abraser.
  • Chemically stable surfaces.  Properties are maintained after exposure to solutions including 4% alkali and boiling water.
  • Only non‐toxic, non-volatile and low-flammability materials are used.
  • Surfaces can be rinsed with water at high flow rates for long times and remain dry.  Surfaces are not wetted when submerged in water under high pressure.
  • Roll-to-roll processing scales up directly to industrial production