University at Buffalo dental students took inspiration from how water beads up on lotus leaves to solve the problem of foggy face shields during the pandemic.
“The hydrophobic nanostructure keeps water from being absorbed in the leaves,” Praveen Arany, associate professor of oral biology, said. “They float and secrete a natural wax.”
The researchers needed to recreate a clear, non-toxic wax to use on the PPE. They found the combination of carnauba and beeswax worked best, allowing the condensation to roll off, reported the University at Buffalo.
These findings were stated in the paper “Durability and physical characterization of anti-fogging solution for 3D-printed clear masks and face shields” by students Succhay Gadhar, Shaina Chechang and Philip Sales, with Arany.
