Biomimetic porous foam realizes pigment free high whiteness and hydrophobicity, providing new ideas for polymer additives formulation

Biomimetic structure replaces traditional white pigment

According to ScienceDaily, researchers have developed a foam based material that can achieve strong whiteness and hydrophobic properties without the use of titanium dioxide pigment and PFAS chemicals. This achievement provides a new technological route for the sustainable manufacturing of white waterproof daily materials. The design inspiration for this material comes from various structures in nature that have optical or surface properties, including snow, clouds, flowers, and lotus leaves. The research team utilizes the tiny pore structure inside the material to scatter light, resulting in whiteness; Simultaneously, by constructing a rough surface, water can be repelled. This means that whiteness and hydrophobicity are not determined by chemical pigments or fluorine-containing finishing agents, but by the physical structure of the material.

Technical Path and Performance Characteristics

Traditional white materials typically rely on white pigments such as titanium dioxide to achieve coverage and whiteness, while waterproof performance is often achieved through the use of fluorinated chemicals such as PFAS.

. PFAS is increasingly subject to strict regulatory restrictions due to its environmental persistence and bioaccumulation, and titanium dioxide pigments are also facing safety and sustainability concerns in some applications. The foam material bypasses these two types of substances through the principle of structural color and the design of surface microstructure, providing a more sustainable alternative in concept.

From the perspective of material science, the light scattering mechanism of this porous foam belongs to the same category as the light material interaction problem treated by light stabilizers and ultraviolet absorbers commonly used in polymer matrix, but the goal is different: the former pursues efficient scattering of visible light to obtain whiteness, while the latter is committed to absorbing or dissipating ultraviolet radiation to protect polymers. Both indicate that the optical properties of materials can be finely controlled through microstructure or additive formulations.

Significance for the polymer additive industry

For the research and development of polymer additives, the value of this achievement lies not only in the white material itself.

. It suggests to formula designers that certain functions traditionally undertaken by chemical additives, such as covering, appearance control, and surface wettability, may be achieved through structural design. This provides a new reference frame for the formulation optimization of polymer additives such as antioxidants, light stabilizers, and UV absorbers: in outdoor weather resistant applications, the surface roughness and pore structure of materials may simultaneously affect light scattering behavior, water contact angle, and UV penetration path, thereby changing the requirements for weather resistance test results. Specifically, if porous structures can alter the scattering and absorption distribution of ultraviolet radiation on the surface of materials, the dosage and type of light stabilizers and ultraviolet absorbers in the formulation may need to be re evaluated. Similarly, hydrophobic surfaces may reduce the residence time of moisture on the material surface, thereby affecting the degradation rate under weather conditions such as hydrolysis aging and wet heat aging. Although these associations have not been directly validated in this study, they provide valuable research directions for the polymer additive industry. In addition, the alternative orientation of this technology for PFAS is consistent with the current regulatory trend in the field of polymer additives. As fluorine-containing finishing agents are restricted in multiple markets, the industry’s demand for fluorine free hydrophobic solutions continues to rise. Foam based porous materials provide a hydrophobic path independent of fluorinated chemicals, although its durability, mechanical strength and large-scale manufacturing feasibility still need further research.

Problems to be clarified

At present, the public information has not disclosed the specific chemical composition, matrix polymer type, pore size distribution data and quantitative indicators of hydrophobic properties of the foam material. The whiteness value, water contact angle, weather resistance test performance, and long-term stability are not provided in the source. The compatibility, processing method, and suitability for blending formulations of antioxidants and light stabilizers of this material with existing polymer additive systems also need further research to verify.

Information source:Scientists create brilliant white material without a drop of white pigment， Organized by Herun Chemical.