According to a paper published in nature sustainability on November 29 by a research team at Pennsylvania State University, it has developed a spray coating that not only reduces water consumption by 90%, but also suppresses odors and prevents the spread of bacteria.
They developed a way to reduce the running water in the toilet and prevent stool from accumulating in the toilet. If you reduce sticking, you can expect a water saving effect. The toilet is treated with a special coating, so the stool slides down like a slippery air mat.
The reason why the research team started developing special lubricants for toilets was after hearing that the Cranfield University research team was developing a slippery coating when developing toilets in developing countries four years ago. The research team calls it Less (liquid entrenched smooth surface).
The Less coating starts with a base layer filled with fine hairs on the tips of lizards or insects and is covered with some kind of silicone oil attached thereto. It takes just a few minutes to process. The team first tested the coating using synthetic feces at various concentrations. Synthetic feces were placed on a plate fixed to a 45-degree slope at a height of 40 cm, and a colored dye was used to check how much water should be required to clean the plate. As a result, it is said that if the plate was coated with the surface, the feces could be sent down in 90% of the quantity than the uncoated plate.
In another experiment, the actual feces were placed on a horizontal panel and the Less coating treatment was slid down in one place, compared with the ceramic, Teflon, and silicone coated plates. As a result, it is said that there was no trace left on the plate with the Less coating.
However, in the test, the Less coating can withstand up to 500 times, but it must be replaced afterwards. The main purpose of Less is to cope with the water shortage, but it also helps to get rid of dirt in the bathroom. It’s also great for saving the trouble of cleaning the bathroom. The development team will set up a company to sell coatings. Related information can be found here .