Why do we need a non-slip coating on food packaging? Well, have you ever tried to get the last few drops of ketchup or mayonnaise out of a bottle? It’s impossible without you start scooping the substance out with a spoon, and even then you can’t get all of it. Put a non-stick coating on the inside of the bottle though, and the problem disappears.
MIT has such a coating and they’ve called it LiquiGlide. As the video above demonstrates, it doesn’t let anything stick to the surface it is applied to, meaning a bottle of ketchup will look squeaky clean when empty. The same will be true of any food or drink packet you currently dispose of covered in the remains of the food it contained.
LiquiGlide can be applied to glass and varying types of plastic. To the touch it is a solid coating, but its properties make it act more like a lubricating liquid. It is formed using only FDA approved materials due to its intended use alongside food, which means it might not be long before we see it used in a commercial product. And I guarantee everyone will know about that first product as the marketing will focus on it.
LiquiGlide has many uses beyond just food packaging. In fact, its use with food is actually a byproduct of the MIT team trying to develop a coating to stop oil and gas line clogs. They have also looked into using a similar coating to stop ice forming on a surface. So while LiquiGlide may make pounding a condiment bottle a thing of the past first, in the future it could also be making those cold winter mornings a more pleasant experience for drivers.
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