Airlines are being offered a liquid-repellant coating for seat fabrics and carpets that was originally developed to protect soldiers from chemical attack. A few nanometers thick, the coating is applied using an ionised gas and makes a surface super-hydrophobic.
The Ion Mask coating is being offered by Oxford, UK-based P2i, set up in 2004 to commercialise liquid-repellent treatments developed by the UK Ministry of Defence. "A number of airlines are considering treating their first class cabins," says technical director Stephen Coulson.
The coating gives the fabric a low surface energy - increasing its tendency to repel molecules of another substance - while leaving other properties unchanged, says P2i.
Source: Flight International
