• US scientists create coating that keeps coffee, milk and soup from sticking to surfaces The coating survived nearly a million hot-water impacts before showing signs of wear. • Researchers in the US have developed a multilayered insulated superhydrophobic (MISH) coating that repels near-boiling water, hot milk, coffee, and split pea soup, thus helping never-wet surfaces stay effective even at high temperatures. • Scientists at Rice University came up with a quick fix for superhydrophobic surfaces by experimenting with the material’s heat flow rather than focusing solely on its chemistry and texture. • Superhydrophobic surfaces are highly water‑repellent. • They mimic the lotus leaf and cause water droplets to roll off with only a slight tilt. • But hot water remains their major weakness.

Article Summaries:

  • Rice University researchers have developed a multilayered insulated superhydrophobic (MISH) coating that keeps hot liquids-such as coffee, milk, and soup- from sticking to surfaces even at nearly boiling temperatures. The two‑layer design combines a spray‑on polyurethane foam underlayer that slows heat transfer with a commercial micro‑textured superhydrophobic topcoat. By reducing rapid evaporation‑condensation cycles, the coating preserves the air pockets that give superhydrophobicity. In lab tests, MISH surfaces survived over a million hot‑water impacts, while conventional coatings failed after a few dozen. The team demonstrated effectiveness on flat plates, curved pipes, and kitchen‑related surfaces, suggesting broad industrial and household applications.

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