2023-09-08 06:00:05
Toilets that never get dirty and require less water to flush: Chinese researchers have developed a prototype 3D-printed bowl that might make toilet cleaning obsolete.
Crédit: Advanced Engineering Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adem.202300703
The prototype, although small, showed promising results. Bin Su, a senior researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, and his team tested the surface. the surface layer of an object. The term a…) of the model with various substances, including yogurt and fake excrement. Their toilet, called ARSFT, is resistant to clogging and retains its properties even following repeated use.
The innovation is inspired by the tropical carnivorous plants Nepenthes, which use a slippery substance to capture their prey. In the same way, the surface of the bowl is coated with an oil which facilitates the evacuation of waste.
This new material for the toilet bowl resists the adhesion of false excrement with different humidity levels (Humidity is the presence of water or water vapor in the air or in a substance…) .
Video credit: Additional materials from Li et al. 2023 DOI:10.1002/adem.202300703
The key to this poor adhesion is a property called “hydrophobicity.” The team used a 3D printing technique called selective laser sintering to create a porous structure. This structure is then filled with lubricating oil, which allows the bowl to maintain its sliding properties even following intense mechanical friction.
However, challenges remain. The cost of 3D printing and the integration of this new technology into existing production processes are obstacles to overcome. But the potential applications of this non-stick surface extend far beyond toilets.
One might think of the description of research winning an Ig Nobel Prize, an award given for research that first makes people laugh, then think. Although the idea of a toilet bowl that repels feces may seem humorous at first, it addresses serious issues such as water consumption (Water is a ubiquitous chemical compound on Earth, essential for all the…) and hygiene (Hygiene is a set of measures intended to prevent infections and…). But also, the many other applications that this new process might have.
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