Re:MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing
by durkie on Tuesday May 22, 2012 @10:43PM
(#4011257)
This effect could be achieved with a "standard" superhydrophobic coating (or superhydrophilic for oil-based condiments). Those can be easily done with something like a nanostructured silica film (without having to functionalize the coating with additional chemicals), and silica is a very common food additive (fumed silica is already added to ketchup in fact to alter its flow properties)
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Re:MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing
by schiffern on Wednesday May 23, 2012 @02:44AM
(#4011869)
The problem is that even benign materials can have unexpected outcomes that depend on their nano-structural properties. Carbon is safe, but carbon nanotubes can form cysts [1] and cause brain damage in fish [2].
[1] http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080520/full/news.2008.845.ht...
[2] http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4825-buckyballs-cause-...
Re:MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing
by durkie on Wednesday May 23, 2012 @08:26AM
(#4012694)
You're absolutely right -- there are some materials that would be very bad candidates here.
I was pointing out only that this can be achieved with structure only (no additional hydrophobic/hydrophilic chemicals), and that it can be done with materials that have already proven themselves inert when ingested in nano-scale particle sizes.
Re:MIT’s Non-Stick Coating Keeps Ketchup Flowing
by tomkinstinch on Tuesday May 22, 2012 @11:06PM
(#4011319)
Nanostructures may be likely, considering the group's recent (but different) patent:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=JBoFAgAAEBAJ&printsec=a...