"HK" wrote in message
. ..

Eisboch wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
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Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:41:03 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

There is a school of thought that suggests that "beading" of water on
a painted surface will cause paint damage unless you wash and wax very
regularly. The beads of water act like miniature magnifying glasses,
focusing and intensifying the sun's energy, burning through the wax
and paint and permanently burning any dust or dirt into the surface.
The wax is sacrificial and does not last very long.
File this under learn something new everyday.

I just read Wayne's post about sheeting water on his racer and your
post on optics.

Here's my question - what makes the water bead? Is it that it clings
to the surface, or because it can't cling to the surface?


Hydrophobic interaction.

Yup. There is quite a science associated with this. We built high
vacuum processing systems that ionized gas (plasma) and bombarded the
internal walls of bottles -- plastic and glass -- with energetic ions.
The process super cleaned the surface and water would sheet, rather than
bead.

Some well know beer companies use this technology.

Eisboch

Makes for very sanitary


Hey! I tuk fizzzziks!


I always got a kick out of people who wear glasses and pay big bucks for a
"scratch resistant" coating on plastic lenses. The coating is actually
called a hydrophobic coating and does absolutely nothing to make the lens
surface "harder". All it does is adds a bit of lubricity to the surface so
dirt or dust will tend to slide off rather than scratch the plastic surface.

Wiping them with mineral oil will do the same thing.

Eisboch