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KITAKYUSHU — A team of young engineers from a steel and precision components company located in this city in southwest Japan has created a new “superhydrophobic coating,” primarily composed of water.

They plan to bring the product to market by 2026, according to Yusuke Nishiura, 38, who leads the technology research laboratory at Yoshikawa Kogyo Co.’s Techno Center in Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu, and said, “This is an eco-friendly product that we hope will be used in many different areas.”

Conventional coatings and non-stick cookware frequently include fluorine-based substances like PFOS and PFOA, which are effective at repelling water and oil, yet their negative impacts on human health and the environment have resulted in worldwide regulations. On the other hand, Yoshikawa Kogyo’s latest coating contains more than 80% water and avoids the use of fluorine compounds.

The surface demonstrates strong water-repelling properties, making water droplets form into beads. This characteristic enables it to resist rain and muddy water, meaning it is expected to reduce water marks and splashes. The company, based in the Yahatahigashi Ward of the city, expects its application in civil engineering and infrastructure projects, indicating that coating concrete structures or slope walls with this material could decrease the adherence of rain and seawater, thus increasing their durability.

The innovation was created by individuals from the technology research lab at the company’s Techno Center. Founded in the spring of 2020, the center utilizes knowledge from its surface treatment division to prevent the degradation of steel components, thereby promoting advancements in technology and product development within the chemical sector. The research group includes 11 engineers, mostly in their late 20s, with three main members leading the superhydrophobic coating initiative.

The project started when a client firm suggested a unique powder with water-resistant characteristics. Examining its makeup led to the concept of applying it in coatings. Several current products include fluorine-based components, and the team has initiated efforts to enhance them. Yoshikawa Kogyo’s breakthrough utilizes water as its main component, minimizing environmental effects and lowering costs to roughly half of traditional coatings.

Even though the company worked with Nippon Steel Corp. on coating development twenty years back, this marks their initial foray into “hydrophobic” products. The developers separately created the ingredient combinations and coating techniques, obtaining a patent in the fall following nearly four years of research.

Shinya Yamasaki, 29, a key member of the group, stated, “It took some time, but I’m glad we managed to make it happen. I look forward to keeping involved in the development process.” Risako Akaho, 25, who became part of the project later on, remarked, “I hope to help enhance the quality from an impartial viewpoint.”

The group intends to improve strength and additional characteristics, with the goal of bringing the product to market for companies in the following year. Nishiura stated, “We aim to continue pushing ourselves in the area of product development.”

(Japanese original by Katsutoshi Hashimoto, Kyushu News Department)