Published on 2 - February - 2010

News

Silica-based solution, which makes cleaning easier and protects surfaces from bacteria, will be available at DIY chain this spring.


The revolutionary liquid glass solution from Nanopool is based on Si02 (silica). When mixed with water or alcohol and applied to a surface, it creates a film 500 times thinner than a human hair.

Once coated, surfaces become anti-microbially protected, repelling water, dirt and bacteria. The silica film also makes the surface stain repellent and easier to clean, with marks on most finishes easily removed using just water. Limescale build-up on products is significantly reduced, while the coating is resistant to heat, UV light and acid but remains flexible and breathable.

Food safe and environmentally friendly, the product is already on sale for domestic use in Germany. However, a report in the Daily Mail states that the liquid glass product will be launched in the UK via B&Q stores this spring. According to the story, sprays and wipes for bathrooms and windscreens will be available from the DIY chain within months.

The product offers a variety of applications, including bathrooms, ovens, fish tanks, car windscreens and clothing. Even stonework can be treated to help make the cleaning of graffiti easier. The product is also durable: a 30-second DIY application on a sink unit should last for a year or more, according to Nanopool.

The product's growing list of uses does not stop there. Nanopool UK project manager Neil McClelland explained that the spray-on glass is now also recognised as being suitable for agricultural and in-vivo application Trials in a vineyard revealed that pre-coated seeds grow more rapidly without the need for anti-fungal chemicals, while vines coated with Si02 don't suffer from mildew.

Although trials are subject to a degree of secrecy, Mr McClelland said: "Apart from a select group pf professionals, few people in the UK know about this stunning technology...if you visit certain hospitals in the UK you are touching it. If you see an unusually clean train you are probably looking at it, and if you wonder how your white settee looks so clean, you may be sitting on it. All of these surfaces have been coated with invisible glass."

It is unknown if the product will be stocked exclusively in B&Q stores in the UK.

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