Tekon has developed repellent glass sealants using environmentally-safe compounds that are hydrophobic (water repellent). They are also oil repellent (olephobic), antistatic dust repellent and chemically resistant as well. Such sealants can actually make the glass surface better than new.
 Original glass surfaces are microscopically porous and attract contaminants of all kinds. Construction mortar bonds to glass permanently. Sprinklers spray water that contains a wide variety of minerals and contaminants which can damage glass through water-spotting in just a few weeks. Water‑spotting starts with wet/dry cycles that leave dirt deposits baked onto the porous surface. This fixed pattern of spots holds moisture and supports leaching, the hydrolytic exchange of minerals. This leads to corrosion that can be felt with a fingernail.
Nano Tek-On’s repellent glass coatings stop the whole corrosion process before it starts by filling the pores and creating a smooth hydrophobic surface. The porous cavities of the glass surface are filled with barrier resins that block interaction with water and airborne contaminates. This glass sealant causes water to bead and run off, carrying deposits with it. Remaining droplets dry but do not stick and therefore do not develop into permanent water spots. Subsequent rain washes the residue away, although gentle hosing is also effective. In this way water use is reduced, an important environmental result.
As a result of this process, the glass feels slick and is noticeably easier to clean. Because soils of all kinds cannot adhere to the coating, all are easily removed. Even bird droppings and tree sap do not stick.
Overall, non-stick Tekon glass sealants are a value-added feature that provide the following results:
• Windows stay cleaner longer
• Shower enclosures are easier to keep spotless
• Keeps mirrors dust free
• Keeps glass tables and doors fingerprint proof
• All glass surfaces are easy to wipe clean with only a microfiber cloth
An extensive study by NASA, to determine the nature of soiling on solar arrays and the effectiveness of repellent coatings, revealed some interesting facts. Weather-borne accumulations on glass and other surfaces are composed of three distinct layers. A tight layer bonds to the surface that can only be removed with agitated rubbing and solvent solutions. Next is a looser layer that is water‑soluble and can be rinsed away. The top layer is dust that is blown off in high wind.
When a repellent glass coating was subjected to the same conditions, only two layers developed. The top layer was the same dust. But the bottom layer was now loosely composed of the same contaminates found previously in the middle and bottom layers. However, with the coating, it behaved like the uncoated middle layer, in that it too was water‑soluble and easily rinsed away. The repellent glass coating eliminated the bonding layer altogether.
Overall, NASA found that coated solar panels kept cleaner naturally and were significantly more energy productive and longer lasting. |
