Canadian researchers develop first permanent anti-fog coating for glass

Led by Professor Gatean Laroche, Laval University researchers published their findings in the journal Applied Materials and Interfaces. The fog-proof coating has not been tested on vehicles.



"Despite the development of several anti-fog coating strategies, the long-term stability, adherence to the underlying substrate, and resistance to cleaning procedures are not yet optimal," the researchers say in their findings. "We report on a polymer-based anti-fog coating covalently grafted onto glass surfaces by means of a multi-step process."



Basically, the multi-step process involves the combination of the compounds of polyethylene-maleic anhydride (PEMA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which help bind anti-fog properties to glass. "Results show that the PEMA/PVA coating not only delayed the initial period required for fog formation but also decreased the rate of light transmission decay," the researchers say. "Finally, following a 24 hour immersion in water, these PEMA/PVA coatings remained stable and preserved their anti-fog properties."