Metal surfaces have been taught to self-clean, even water pipes

Pipes, tools and surfaces that come into contact with salt water tend to form corrosive

layer of salt and other dissolved minerals,which needs to be scraped off or washed away. MIT engineers have taught metal surfaces to clean themselves, even water pipes. The new method makes the minerals so easy to remove that they simply fall off on their own.

Usually, when a drop of salt water sticks tosurface, the mineral forms a spherical shape as it evaporates. Thus, the crystal is in contact with the surface on  from a large area. Ultimately, the metals become coated with a salty crust over the entire surface, which is difficult to remove.

For the new study, the MIT team examinedways to change this crystallization process by “tuning” the surfaces themselves. They eventually stumbled upon an intriguing phenomenon that they had never seen before.

If the surface is hydrophobic (water-repellent),heated and has a specific nano-sized texture with small protrusions, the salt crystallizes in a unique way. A ball forms, and soon strange leg-like structures begin to sprout underneath it, pushing it upward. Eventually they grow so long that they can no longer support the weight and the crystal breaks off. 

Scientists claim that properties and textureSurfaces with predetermined parameters can be easily transferred to various objects by etching or coating methods. This makes it easy to scale and integrate development into existing infrastructure. The technology is useful for desalination plants, water distribution pipes, geothermal wells and almost everywhere where polluted water is regularly used.

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