Spray-on Liquid Glass. Miracle Product? Or a Hazard?

The product isn’t liquid glass in the sense of molten glass, but rather a nanoparticulate form of glass developed and patented by Nanopool, a German-owned company based in Turkey.

The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids. UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.

Because a glass-coated surface resists soiling, the process is envisioned to be used extensively in hospitals, coating equipment, catheters, and bandages.

The spray cannot be seen by the naked eye, which means it could also be used to treat clothing and other materials to make them stain-resistant. McClelland said you can “pour a bottle of wine over an expensive silk shirt and it will come right off”.

The photo in the insert is of Alec Guiness, who famously portrayed “The Man in the White Suit,” a character whose invention of unstainable clothing turned out to be a mixed blessing.  Other factors to consider include the substance itself – silicon dioxide.  When inhaled in macroparticulate form it can cause silicosis of the lungs; nanoparticles may have different toxicity, although none apparently have been reported with this product.  Yet.

Link, via Reddit.  Photo via.