Self-cleaning glass has been clocking up revenues in the residential windows sector for a few years now but has been unable to find other markets. In its present form, self-cleaning glass often lacks both effectiveness and longevity. Yet the argument for why a higher-performance self-cleaning glass will generate revenues in the future is compelling – low maintenance, reduced cleaning time, and reduced cost.
What n-tech is seeing, however, are R&D trends that we believe will take self-cleaning glass to the next stage. The trends that will have the most immediate impact are those that extend the performance of today’s hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces. These trends are described below. But we also see new self-cleaning technologies that may challenge current technology and open up new markets.