Prof. Dr. Rechenberg of the Technical University of Berlin explains how the LOTUS EFFECT....

[Queen Esther]

How  the  LOTUS - EFFECT  WORKS.....

Prof. Dr. Rechenberg of the Technical University of Berlin explains what it is exactly with the
Lotus effect:

Hello, Professor Rechenberg. Would you explain to us as an expert how exactly the Lotus effect works?

What would happen if dust, dirt and liquids would not stick to surfaces? Dr.-Ing. Ingo Rechenberg, Professor of the Department of Bionics and Evolutionary Technology at the Technical University of Berlin, explains the nature of the nature of the Lotus leaf.

All liquids are eager to accept the smallest possible volume, ie the shape of a ball. The forces acting thereon are referred to as the surface tension of the liquid. If drops of the liquid hit the surface of the lotus leaves, the attracting forces cause the liquid to adhere to the respective surface. There are surfaces that strongly attract water molecules - also called hydrophilic surfaces - and those that repel the water (hydrophobic surfaces). The described attraction force is reduced by countless nubs of the leaf structure of the lotus plant.

A drop of water lies on the tops of these elevations, like a fakir on a nailboard. Between the individual elevations is air. As a result, a drop of water is even less attracted to the surface, is present only with the smallest surface area, flows off quickly and forms a small bead because of the surface tension. The drop does not flow! Due to the knurled structure, the dirt particles are also located with the smallest surface, so the attracting forces between the dirt and the blade are extremely small, which means that even hydrophobic dirt does not adhere to the sheet surface and can be transported by the draining water.

Are there other plants that exhibit these properties?

In addition to the Lotus plant, Kohlrabi also shows the effect of self-cleaning. At least during an early morning walk through the forest you can observe how dew settles on the leaves of various plants. In this case, the water droplets are already formed into a ball. As soon as the blade is at an angle, the drops peel off. And also in the animal kingdom there is this effect: One of the numerous examples here would be the feather dress of birds.

Transferred to Technology - Where Do You See the Possibilities and Limits of the Lotus Effect?

Ideal for the Lotus technology are surfaces that are exposed to rain. Here the self-cleaning is as easy as the natural model. The Lotus effect is used for wall paint, for example. But - and you should be aware of this - the effectiveness of the Lotus effect is not of infinite duration. The self-cleaning effect only functions for a certain period of time. The automotive industry also provides the Lotus effect with a large field of application, for example in the case of varnishes or car washing. But also here one must not forget to renew this effect again and again - as the lotus plant pretends. In this context I see a big problem, especially in insect flying. Due to the impact of beetles or mosquitoes, the surface structure and thus the lotus effect are destroyed successively.

Mr. Professor Dr. Rechenberg, would you give us a final view of what will be possible with the Lotus effect in the future?

As a bionic, I only observe the perfection of nature - what achievements it produces - and am willing to replicate it technically in collaboration with excellent engineers. Only the interaction of biology and technology has brought progress to man. Biology is usually the focus of attention. If the technique contributes its part, then "explosions" occur - as it was in the case of the lotus plant.

Thank you Mr. Professor Dr. Rechenberg for the elaborate explanation of the Lotus effect and the reason why it is so important to renew it again and again.

The low wettability of a surface, as can be observed in the lotus plant, is referred to as a lotose effect (incorrectly also often a lotus effect, which in this spelling has also been protected as a mark name). Water beads in drops and also carries all dirt particles on the surface. This is due to a complex micro- and nanoscopic architecture of the surface, which minimizes the adhesion of dirt particles.

Other plants, such as the nasturtium (Tropaeolum), reeds (Phragmites), cabbages (Brassica oleracea) or Aquilegia show this effect just like some animals (many insect wings). [1]

The self-cleaning capability of water-repellent micro-nanostructured surfaces was discovered in the 1970s and transferred to biomimetic technical products since the mid-1990s. These are marked by the industry with the brand name "Lotus effect".

(People learned immensely much from nature ....  Let's look back,  * WHO  CREATED  THE  NATURE * ?)

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

1 hour ago, Queen Esther said:

A drop of water lies on the tops of these elevations, like a fakir on a nailboard.

Before I left my mother's home, growing up in Virginia, I had heard about the Indian Fakirs sleeping on a bed of sharp nails, and as I wanted to be a tough guy, I made one for me with a 4'x8" sheet of plywood, and about two thousand nails. 

There were problems during the "adjustment period", however, as the anxiety made me wet the bed, and the nails were getting rusty, it was SO hard to get fitted sheets, and the screaming kept my mother awake at night.

[Queen Esther]

JTR,   YOU  are  not  a  Fakir...  hahaha   -   But  I  can  understand,  young  boys / men,  want  being  very  brave  and  tough...  making  often  such  of  fooleries   For  trianed  guys  its  no  problem  -  but  all  others  must  go  through  the  bad  experiences   I  hope,  your  back  is  okay  again !  Some  young  guys  really  utter   SMH....   My  brother  was  similar  in  young  years,  with  13, 14, 15 !

BUT  WHEREFROM  YOU  GOT  2000  nails ??  thats  alot  -  and  much  work  for  such  a  torture - sleeping !!  Nobody  heard  you,  beating  the  tons  of  nails ?  hahaha  -  Young  girls  making  other  fooleries....  not  with  so  much  work  and  pains !

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

I always have nails handy .... sometimes when I am watching TV I eat a half- bowl of nails .... they have plenty of iron, and I like the way sparks come off of my teeth in the darkened room. Sometimes I break rocks  with my fingers and sprinkle the sand on the nails, like putting cheese on a Pizza.

Ever wonder why there are no Dinosaurs anywhere on Earth?

... that was me..

[Queen Esther]

NO.... I  know  that  from  TV,   hahaha   -   But  I  can't  believe  you  all  that !!!!    I'm  puzzling  about  you

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

All of this is HUMOR, Queen Ester ... but don't feel bad... half the people in the United States do not understand.

I am 71 years old, and I tell myself these stories, 'cause I like hearing them!

[Queen Esther]

Okay,  then  I  like  it !!   Humor  is  always  great   Good  Night  for  today...  its  late  again  >>>>>>>>