These Unsinkable Tubes Could Help Harvest Energy From the Ocean

Scientists at the University of Rochester have made aluminum tubes that trap air bubbles and remain buoyant even when damaged. The tubes are narrow—about one-fifth of an inch in diameter—but stacked into rafts they could form floating platforms or devices to harvest energy from ocean waves, a team led by Chunlei Guo reported last month in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Chemical etching produces microscopic pits on the metal surfaces that prevent water from entering, creating a superhydrophobic coating that keeps the interior dry. The design takes inspiration from diving bell spiders and fire ants, whose water-repellent hairs trap air and enable flotation.

In tests the tubes stayed afloat in salty water and in water with algae, resisting corrosion and biological growth, and drilling holes did not destroy their buoyancy.

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