An innovative novel approach for preventing dust from sticking to surfaces has been developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, and the North Carolina-based company Smart Material Solutions Inc., Phys.org reports.
The technology has the potential to revolutionize space exploration, protect equipment on Earth and make our lives easier.
Clearing Machines of Pesky Dusts
Dust can infiltrate machinery and equipment, reducing efficiency or causing equipment failures. Space dust is especially problematic because it sticks to everything and cannot be wiped or sprayed away.
According to an article in Scientific American, when tiny particles of space debris collide with satellites, the collision could result in the emission of hardware-destroying radiation.
Creating Dust-Proof Surfaces
Changing the geometry of flat surfaces to create a densely packed nanoscale network of pyramid-shaped structures is the key to solving the problem.
Because of these pointed and angular structures, it is difficult for the dust particles to adhere to the material; as a result, the dust particles instead cling to one another and rolling off the material under the effect of gravity.
The structures offer a passive solution, meaning they do not need additional energy or materials to remove dust from the equipment surface.
Results: The researchers tested engineered surfaces by loading lunar dust on top and then turning each surface on its side. Only about 2% of the surface stayed dusty, compared to more than 35% of a correspondingly smooth surface.
Groundbreaking Space Technology
As the research was supported by a grant from NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the technology's first applications will be space technology.
The dust-resistant surfaces could prevent malfunctioning and damage to space equipment. However, the technology also has enormous application potential on Earth.
It could prevent solar panels from accumulating dust and gradually losing efficiency. It could one day protect digital screens such as smartphones and televisions.
Chih-Hao Chang, an associate professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering and the study's lead author, stated, "What we've demonstrated here is a surface that can clean itself. Particulates aren't able to stick to the surface, so they come off using just the force of gravity."
A Look at the Study
Scientists have created special nanostructured surfaces capable of removing nearly all the dust particles that land on them using only gravity. They achieved this by creating microscopic structures on a polycarbonate substrate that cause dust particles to adhere and form aggregates, which then fall off the surface.
Video from Cockrell School of Engineering
The researchers utilized the nanocoining and nanoimprinting processes to create these structures, which are extremely precise and have unique surface properties. Using various methods, they determined that the surfaces can remove virtually all dust particles larger than 2 microns.
The nanostructured surfaces reduced dust coverage by 93% compared to a smooth polycarbonate surface. This is a significant advancement that could be utilized in various applications, such as window cleaning, solar panel cleaning, and electronic device cleaning.
Read more about the study here.
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