Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Coatings

Shark skin coating takes to the air

by Alex Scott
May 7, 2021 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 99, Issue 17

 

A person holds a film with a surface that imitates the properties of shark skin.
Credit: Sonja Brüggemann/Lufthansa Technik
Lufthansa will apply BASF's film to its fleet of Boeing cargo planes.

Lufthansa will coat its fleet of 10 Boeing 777F cargo planes with a film made by BASF that features a surface inspired by shark skin. The film will cut the planes’ aerodynamic drag by 1%, reducing the fleet’s carbon dioxide emissions by 11,700 metric tons per year, the airline says. Branded AeroSHARK, the film has ripples measuring around 50 µm that aid air flow. BASF won’t disclose the material’s composition. Companies such as Huntsman have been developing shark skin–textured coatings using polyurethane.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.