BIONIC

Learned from nature

In millions of years, nature has developed unique solutions for the most diverse requirements. Today, science makes use of nature‘s development concepts and applies them to fascinating technical applications.

This method finds its focus in the term Bionic, which means learning from nature. Technical applications, which have been developed from Bionic, are today to be found in the automotive, aircraft and construction industry.

The number 1 of the oceans serves as a model for technical solutions

What is Bionic? How does Bionic work? The shark furnishes the best explanations. His hydrodynamic shape is highly adapted and makes him the perfect hunter of the oceans. Apart from his hunting strategy, is this the only property that makes him successful? Has nature only for this reason left the basic structure unchanged for more than 100 million years?

Contrary to the assumption that the shark‘s skin is a smooth surface, it was found that it is coarse. Microscopically small longitudinal grooves, so-called riblets, make the water pass their bodies in a controlled manner, because they reduce friction in the water. This is why there is no other, faster hunter in the water than the shark. The shark-skin effect of competitive swimsuits thus is one of the most well-known findings of Bionic.

« Electron-microscopical micrographie of the shark‘s skin with riblets

Since many hydrodynamic laws are also valid for aerodynamics, aerodynamic transfers to the automobile and aircraft construction following the example of the shark are not a coincidence.

The use of surface structures that are similar to those of the shark’s skin save fuel. A transfer to textile applications can be found in swimming. Competitive swimmers can glide faster in water with bionically optimised swimsuits.

Is it possible to produce a Lotus-effect on textiles?

Development of new, water-repellent textile impregnations

The best-known example for Bionic with regard to a water- and soil-repellent application is the lotus effect. Fine knobs with a thin wax cover are arranged in such a way on the surface of the leaf of the lotus plant that water and soilings cannot stick, but are shed.

In the past few years such lotus structures have been successfully applied to wall surfaces by means of special house paint or by modifying roof tiles and road signs.

The application of the lotus effect on textiles is of little use, since textiles do not have a hard, unworkable surface, and aspects such as handle and abrasion resistance play an important role.

Is it possible to produce a Lotus-effect on textiles?

Even if it was possible to create a lotus structure on the textile, there would be another problem: If these structures are built from soft particles, such as waxes, the self-cleaning effect of these surfaces will break down after slightest mechanical strain due to the abrasion of these structures (e.g. in home laundering). If, on the other hand, a structure of hard particles is created, the structure, handle and character of the textile will become dramatically poorer.

Textiles with the argument lotus effect are, nevertheless, marketed. However, these textiles are usually finished with a conventional technology.

RUDOLF follows another way.

Lacking effect due to a mechanical destruction of the lotus structure »

1. damaged Lotus surface structure of the textiles due to abrasion
2. poorer Lotus effect
3. wetting, no self-repairing effect

BIONIC-FINISH RUDOLF®

The world-wide first complete water-repellent system for the textile industry

The result of intensive R&D work is a patented product system, based on the findings of a Bionic system. By the use of starlike, branched polymers, water and oil-repellent effects with a simultaneously reduced fluorocarbon resin content can be obtained.

RUDOLF GROUP synthetise these hyperbranched polymers, which are capable of building up crystal structures, that produce wash and highly abrasion-resistant, water-repellent effects.

The world-wide first complete water-repellent system for the textile industry

Dendrimer structure and growth

Dendrimers have the ability to self-organise. Complex crystallisation processes, which are triggered off after the application to textiles, are very important here.

An invisible, water-repellent protective shield forms on the textile due to crystallisation, the orientation of dedrimers and the connection to the textile surface.

1. dendrimer

2. matrix-additive

3. textile surface

Depending on the requirements special additives cause an extension of the effects with regard to oil- and soil-repellency, resistance to washing/dry cleaning, but also to mechanical abrasion.

Thus a complete product line of effect- and process-optimised products arises from the dendrimer chemistry, which are marketed under the names RUCO-DRY (FC-free) and RUCOSTAR (FC-containing).