Engineers devise waterproof surface 40% quicker at repelling water than ever before 11/20/2013 - 00:00 US engineers have created the "most waterproof material ever" - inspired by nasturtium leaves and butterfly wings. The new "super-hydrophobic" surface could keep clothes dry and stop aircraft engines icing over, they say.The lotus leaf was thought to be the gold standard for staying dry in nature, but now a team from MIT in Boston say they have surpassed it.By adding tiny ridges to a silicon surface, they made water bounce off it 40% faster than the previous "limit".
