Overview
- University of Rochester researchers etched the interiors of aluminum tubes to make them superhydrophobic, trapping air that keeps the tubes afloat regardless of prolonged submersion or severe damage.
- Tank tests showed buoyancy persisted for weeks in turbulent conditions and after extensive puncturing, aided by a central divider that helps retain a stable air pocket.
- Linked tubes formed small rafts that supported loads in the lab, and the team demonstrated preliminary energy capture from moving water using the same assemblies.
- Demonstrations remain centimeter to sub‑meter in scale, and Chunlei Guo says larger, human‑scale applications are plausible but unproven and could take up to a decade.
- Separately, University of Pennsylvania experiments with freely floating miniature ice produced a model that predicts melt rate and lifespan in calm fresh water, offering an upper bound that does not yet cover salty, turbulent seas.