Story 5QV1 Consumer product containers with non-stick coating coming out this year

Consumer product containers with non-stick coating coming out this year

by
in science on (#5QV1)
An easier to squeeze mayonnaise bottle might be coming out this year, and easier to squeeze toothpaste could be here in 2017. This is thanks to a liquid-impregnated coating called LiquiGlide that can keep the inside of a container permanently wet and allow its contents to easily slide out. Elmers Products, Inc. is on board, too, and has already signed a contract with LiquiGlide to let you get every drop of glue out of the bottle. Follow the link for videos of the coating in action.

LiquiGlide is a liquid coating that binds much more strongly to textured surfaces than to liquids, so when it's painted onto the inside of a container, the liquid can flow freely over it without creating friction and viscosity. It was originally created in 2012 by a professor, Kripa Varanasi and his grad students at MIT. They've formed their own LiquiGlide company, and it's now getting some traction among consumer products. However, the original intent behind LiquiGlide was not to make it easier to have ketchup with your fries. Varanasi was thinking about industry applications like more efficient oil pumping. For now, the company has found success in consumer products, but it will continue pursuing industry application ideas too.
Reply 10 comments

"Made from edible materials like plants" (Score: 3, Insightful)

by fishybell@pipedot.org on 2015-03-26 06:09 (#5S0G)

For use in things like glue bottles and paint cans, sign me up, but for food I think I'll wait a few years for everyone else to guinea pig this product for me. I guess I just like the food label to be more descriptive than "like plants."

Re: "Made from edible materials like plants" (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-03-26 07:45 (#5S55)

All natural! Plants! What could possibly go wrong

Re: "Made from edible materials like plants" (Score: 5, Funny)

by fnj@pipedot.org on 2015-03-26 16:27 (#5TCQ)

Hey, please give me an infusion of that conium maculatum, Socrates. Oh, and some of those pretty white berries of convallaria majalis. And some omphalotus olearius would be tasty.

Nice, all natural, organic, plant list! (Score: 4, Informative)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2015-03-28 01:17 (#5Y1Y)

Re: Nice, all natural, organic, plant list! (Score: 2, Informative)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2015-03-28 11:53 (#5YNM)

We all can google. ;-)

Little bit of nitpicking: Mushrooms are no plants :-D

Re: Nice, all natural, organic, plant list! (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-03-29 05:48 (#6032)

The info is good to have. Myself, I could not be assed looking it up, so appreciate the effort from those who do.

Re: "Made from edible materials like plants" (Score: 1)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2015-03-26 19:31 (#5TVQ)

Oh, man, that would be great. A box of spinach in the freezer isle "Made from edible materials! Like Plants!". I'm really tempted to make those stickers and visit a couple grocery stores. Criminal mischief is still a misdemeanor right?

Re: "Made from edible materials like plants" (Score: 2, Interesting)

by nightsky30@pipedot.org on 2015-03-27 17:20 (#5XCB)

Ya, I'm not sold on the food application. Is it safe? You know that stuff will leach into your food to some extent. Once you consume enough of it, I bet you have THE WORST laxative issues EVAR!

is the outside of the bottle slippery, too? (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2015-03-27 00:19 (#5VDC)

kthxbye

Science! (Score: 1)

by nightsky30@pipedot.org on 2015-03-27 17:16 (#5XBJ)

Aperture Labs wants their orange goo back, please. :)