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Home → Blog → Nanoparticles can make paper waterproof

Nanoparticles can make paper waterproof

Posted on March 6, 2006 by Lynn Charles Rathbun

Have you ever put a piece of paper in water and let it sit? It doesn’t last long! Well, a company called Ecology Coatings has accidentally hit upon a way to make paper waterproof — and still writeable! The company makes a special kind of paper coating enhanced with nanoparticles, that helps paper dry faster when exposed to ultraviolet light. One day the researchers discovered that by embedding the coating actually inside the paper instead of surrounding it on the outside, the paper became waterproof — but without changing the texture of it and amking it difficult to write on, as other waterproofing methods usually do. This paper and its special nanoparticle secret sauce could eventually be used to make shipping labels and other paper products that need to be protected from the weather. You could let this paper soak in water all night long, and still be able to write on it in the morning!

Source:Making paper waterproof–and writable

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