An Iranian company, Golnoor Co., has successfully mass-produced electric light bulbs with a thin layer (nano-layer) of hydrophobic coating suitable for outdoor use. The use of nanotechnology in the production of these lights has resulted in the preservation of their long term optical efficiency.
Outdoor lights are permanently exposed to adverse environmental factors including dust, rain, and pollution. These agents may greatly affect the efficiency of electric light bulbs and considerably degrade their lighting capability. Golnoor Co. has successfully addressed this challenge through application of nanotechnology.
“The accumulation of dust and pollution on the outdoor light bulbs such as street lights and LEDs often diminishes their lighting performance. In an effort to deal with this issue, a team of engineers from Golnoor Co. studied a thin layer (nano-layer) of hydrophobic coatings, and was finally able to manufacture a first prototype for testing”, said Mohammad Amini, CEO of Golnoor Co.
In their method, a coating made of silica nanoparticles is deposited on the outer surface of the light bulbs. The hydrophobic nature of the silica coating is able to significantly increase the contact angle of water droplets with the outer surface of coated light bulbs. Golnoor Co. claims that dust particles on the outer surface of their coated light bulbs can be easily removed and therefore the light efficiency can be maintained for a very long time.
According to Amini, mass-production of these hydrophobic light bulbs is expected to reach about 1,000 units in its first year of fabrication. Golnoor Co. believes it has the capacity to quadruple the production volume in the near future. Currently, Golnoor Co. exports some of its products to the countries around the Persian Gulf region, and by introducing this new innovative product, the company is expected to receive a great attention and higher demand in the international markets.
