 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-02-06 19:07
For some reason, when I ran across an article on a new nanotech product which is basically a kind of DIY spray-on glass (http://www.physorg.com/news184310039.html), I thought immediately about its possible use in clarinets, mouthpieces, etc. It's going to first be available in Britain for about £5 ($8 US).
"The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids."
Apparently it can even be sprayed on plants and seeds without affecting their ability to grow or sprout.
Anyone care to speculate on its use in the clarinet/woodwind world, pro or con?
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2010-02-06 19:58
It sounds to me like the stuff we used many years ago to siliconise microscope slides, only this time with an alcohol or water base instead of some fast evaporating - and toxic - solvent.
The thought of it being used in an aerosol is quite scary. Won't there be a chance of it being inhaled?
At least solvents will evaporate. Anybody know what silicon particles do to the body?
Steve
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2010-02-06 20:36
I would like to experiment by spraying this material on both sides of a standard cane reed. If the material behaves as advertised, maybe this a better way to create a reed that does not require wetting and does not quickly lose its properties. Or, maybe because it won't absorb water, just won't perform. In any case. it's worth some experimenting. Does anyone know where you can get this in the U.S.?
Jerry
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Author: Paul Miller
Date: 2010-02-06 20:59
They silicon particles in liquid glass are around 100 nanometers in size. That's an order of magnitude smaller than asbestos fibers, and even four times smaller than the shortest wave of light in the visible spectrum. You probably shouldn't breathe cans of the stuff (I dono, some people are into that i guess), but I doubt that small exposures would harm you in any way.
I was thinking that once you break in an instrument, you could take off all the keys and give the clarinet a good coating of liquid glass. It would keep the humidity of the wood fairly constant which should help with preventing cracks, and make water bubbles in the keys much easier to clear out.
Would a perfectly smooth bore improve playability?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-02-06 21:45
> On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is
> environmentally harmless and non-toxic (...)
For some reason, nanotechnology (as fascinating as it is) and "harmless" don't universally go along nicely, IMO. Others mentioned asbestos fibers in this context, and I too am somewhat cautious re rigid structures in a sub-microscopic size, stuff that our immunity and defensive system isn't prepared for.
What happens to that stuff when it is released into the wild, eg via a swab that is washed? Will it clog the trachea of small insects that pollinate our apple trees?
I guess we simply don't know until it's proved to be harmful or harmless. Anyone remember the X-ray boxes in shoe stores where you could watch your toes wiggle in a new shoe?
--
Ben
Post Edited (2010-02-07 17:05)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2010-02-07 12:55
First of all Silicon causes Silicosis, a lung disease that used to plague miners.
The product being described sounds like a version of Thompson's Water Seal used to seal basement walls. "Nanotechnology" makes the product sound impressive.
There used to be (still is?) a material called "waterglas(s) that's been used for many years for various "waterproofing" applications;I'm thinking that's basically what the Thompson's product is.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-02-07 17:03
I'd like to know what the surface tension of water on wood coated with this stuff is. I'd put it in and around my blasted G# and side Bb/Eb tone holes in an instant if it would send the water away from those holes.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Paul Miller
Date: 2010-02-09 19:22
BobD, I think 100nm thickness qualifies it as a proper nanotechnology. If I can get ahold of some of this stuff I'll be testing it out on my old Buffet. I want to see if I can waterproof the instrument - a submersion test in the bathtub ought to be pretty interesting.
Of course, I'll want to wear appropriate PPE when applying the glass. No sense in taking any unnecessary risks after all.
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