New metal tubes float even when damaged, raise hopes for safer ships

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a novel method to make ordinary aluminum tubes float indefinitely, even when heavily damaged and submerged for extended periods. By using a laser-based etching process, they create microscopic pits on the inner surface of the tubes, rendering them superhydrophobic—strongly repelling water and trapping a stable pocket of air inside. This trapped air maintains buoyancy regardless of water exposure or damage. A key innovation is the addition of a central divider within each tube, which stabilizes the air pocket and prevents it from escaping during sudden movements or changes in orientation, ensuring reliable flotation even when the tubes are pushed vertically underwater. This new tube-based design improves upon earlier superhydrophobic floating devices by maintaining stability in turbulent, rough water conditions and resisting damage, such as multiple punctures, without losing buoyancy. The researchers demonstrated that multiple tubes can be linked to form larger floating structures, scalable to sizes suitable for ships, floating docks, or ocean buoys. Additionally, these floating ra