A Shampoo Bottle That's Good To The Last Drop
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You spend plenty of money on shampoo, liquid soap, and laundry detergent -- so why shouldn't you be able to use every last drop as easily as the first? Researchers have come up with a solution for that frustration.
It taunts you, that stuff at the bottom of the bottle. Just try getting that last bit out -- it's defiant, even when you resort to violence.
Scientists at Ohio State University feel your pain. They've come up with an inside-of-the-bottle coating that repels soap -- not a simple task, when you consider the surfactant molecules that power through grease have a penchant for sticking to plastic.
The school describes the patent-pending polypropylene lining as nanoparticles that "cradle the droplets of soap aloft above tiny air pockets" -- it never touches the surface.
A video shows how slick that would make the inside of the bottle: the soap glides easily from one end to the other.
The researchers say the innovation is inexpensive. They're looking to market it to plastics manufacturers.