Why is hydrophobic glass more popular than it's counterparts?
Hydrophobic glass is the scientific name for self-cleaning glass. According to surveys, self-cleaning glass is the most expensive type of glass because of the increased demand for it in the market. There are different types of glass even within the genre of self-cleaning glass. These differences are based on the different approaches of making them.
The first group of self-cleaning glass has a hydrophilic layer of coating. The specialty of this coating is its use of photo catalytic decomposition. The second group of self-cleaning glass has hydrophobic protective coating.
It is very important not to mistake between the coatings used in both of these. While the first type of glass uses hydrophobic coating, the second one uses hydrophilic coating. As the name indicates, hydrophobic means water resistant and hydrophilic means water loving or having an affinity to mix with water. The coating is applied in a specific formula so it does not affect the efficiency of the glass.
Why Is Optical Coatings Applied To Glass?
By its default nature, glass can be used only in very few applications. However, its applications are multiplied when it is applied with special optical coatings. Self-cleaning glass has huge demand in the market because of its coating whereas plain glass does not have many uses. A plain glass is absorbent and has got very rough surface. It attracts dirt, bacteria and other contamination. It causes the deterioration of the surfaces. Plain glass will lose the clarity and brilliance very fast.
Hydrophobic Glass Coating
The differences between plain glass and coated glass can be identified by different ways – one easy way is to clean both of them. It will be quite easy to clean a coated glass because it has not attracted any external substances like moss, dirt or bacteria. On the other hand, you will have a hard time to clean a plain glass.
As compared to hydrophilic coating, hydrophobic glass coating is more expensive and more useful. There are a few differences and similarities between both types of glass. In hydrophobic glass, the coating works just like a shield. On the other hand, it is not so with the hydrophilic glass.
Glass with hydrophobic coating is effective to resist both organic and inorganic dirt. Apparently, this is one of the reasons why this glass has more popularity than its counterparts. This type of coating can effectively resist scratch. Whatever you apply on a hydrophobic glass, say graffiti or paint, it can be easily removed from the surface.