Surfaces rendered self-cleaning by hydrophobic structures, and process for their production

Abstract

A self-cleaning surface which has an artificial, at least partially hydrophobic, surface structure containing elevations and depressions, which comprises an at least partially hydrophobic surface formed from structure-forming particles of hydrophobic fumed silica having elevations and depressions ranging in dimensions of 1 to 1000 nm and the particles themselves having an average size of less than 50 μm adhered to the surface by way of a viscous, curable carrier material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyurethane acrylates, silicone acrylates and singly and/or multiply unsaturated (meth)acrylates applied to the surface, which is sufficient to bond the structure forming particles without substantial wetting of the particles by the carrier material while retaining the fissured structure of elevations and depressions of the structure-forming particles in the nanometer range.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.