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Ceramic materials are used in nuclear, chemical and electrical power generation industries because of their ability to withstand extreme environments. However, at high temperatures, ceramics are susceptible to thermal-shock fractures caused by rapid temperature-changing events, such as cold water droplet contact with hot surfaces. In a novel interdisciplinary approach, engineers report the use of a cheap, simple, water-repelling coating to prevent thermal shock in ceramics.
Source: Improved thermal-shock resistance in industrial ceramics
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Improved Thermal-Shock Resistance in Industrial Ceramics
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Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you.
Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 24 2018, @12:58PM (5 children)
If you spit on a really hot surface it makes a really rank smell--I've always assumed it was the proteins in the saliva burning. Learned this when welding as a teenager, testing to see if a piece was cool enough to handle. Now I keep some water around in an old mug or something, dip my fingers and flick some drops on the hot part.
Mod me off topic if you want, but the summary and the link don't give many details about this new development. It involves nano particles on the surface that promote a vapor layer, avoiding direct liquid contact with the ceramic--no details of the composition or shapes.
(Score: 3, Informative) by RS3 on Friday August 24 2018, @01:41PM (4 children)
They're using the term "nano" a bit loosely, IMHO. You could say that spray paint on a car with aluminum flakes for the metallic look is nanoparticles.
But that aside, think of it more as both an insulator and water repellent for clothing, like ScotchGuard. When you drip water on a very hot surface, you notice it wets- adheres- to the surface but also instantly boils. This stuff stops the surface wetting, so the heat transfer is slower, IE, less thermal shock.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 24 2018, @03:36PM
I wonder if the coating has the same high temperature capabilities as the base ceramic? Didn't get any sense of this in the summary or when reading at the link.
I realize the coating is not actually ScotchGuard or any organic coating, because that would evaporate or boil off long before the limiting temperatures of industrial ceramics.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday August 24 2018, @05:08PM (2 children)
They're using the term "nano" a bit loosely, IMHO. You could say that spray paint on a car with aluminum flakes for the metallic look is nanoparticles.
What do you mean? A nanoparticle [wikipedia.org] is just a particle that's between 1 and 100 nanometers in size. The delivery medium has nothing to do with it.
Aluminum flakes are bigger than 100 nanometers and Alumina [wikipedia.org] is smaller than 100 nanometers.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday August 24 2018, @06:53PM
Okay, okay, you win, I give. I know the terms "nano", pico, femto, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_prefix [wikipedia.org]
I see the word "nano" usually used in reference to something active, rather than a simple passive coating. I know it's colloquial, but language is ever evolving. OP was confused by the article and I just tried to help.
I know, -1 flamebait, offtopic, troll, whatever.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday August 24 2018, @06:56PM
PS: I wish I could respond privately to the one poster. I often write in context, and others, such as yourself, have broader knowledge and understanding. In other words, when I try to explain something to someone, I try to understand and adapt to that person. But I'm learning how this works...