(Image source: Pixabay/ahundt)
For eyeglass wearers, there is nothing more frustrating than constantly fogged up lenses. A topic that has become particularly important in the course of the corona pandemic and the associated mask requirement.
However, researchers from Switzerland have now developed a material that is designed to fight fogged up lenses and ensure a clear view. What’s behind it?
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Why do glasses fog up at all?
To answer this question, we must first look at why glasses or other transparent materials fog up in the first place.
The reason for this is the temperature difference between the surrounding air and the glass. The warmer the ambient air, the more water can be stored in it in the form of moisture. If this air meets significantly cooler materials, for example because you come from outside into a heated room in winter, it is suddenly cooled and the water it contains condenses on the surface.
Although there are solutions in the form of particularly water-repellent coatings, these have not been able to establish themselves. Simply because the results were too mixed.
A new approach with gold plating
The researchers at ETH Zurich are therefore taking a different approach: They try to get to the root of the problem. Their approach is to reduce the temperature difference between the surrounding air and the glass.
Specifically, they have therefore developed a gold coating that absorbs light in the form of heat and thus heats up the glasses by several degrees. Since this is only infrared light and no light that is visible to us captured
however, this is not noticeable. But for animals like snakes, which, unlike us, see in the infrared, that would be practically a pair of sunglasses.
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How much does the coating bring?
According to a publication in the journal Nature the 10 nanometer thin gold coating is said to prevent fogging four times better than uncoated samples. Particularly important: The material can also lie under other coatings so that it is not removed when cleaning the glasses.
What is decisive, however, is how much infrared light and with what energy it shines on the glasses. The researchers write that the results are impressive even under cloudy conditions. However, there has not yet been an independent practical test.
When can the first glasses with the coating be expected?
Heise According to the company, no company has yet been found that wants to use the coating. However, the emphasis here is on still
. According to the researchers, the technology should be easy to implement, which is why we hope to see commercial products soon. We have tested a completely different kind of glasses for you here:
What do you think of the invention? How annoying are fogged up glasses for you? And how do you deal with it? Write it to us in the comments!
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