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Superhydrophobic surfaces

Leidenfrost becomes a fakir

When cooled in water from high temperature, superhydrophobic surfaces stabilize the vapour layer on them, thus avoiding the typical vapour explosions associated with the nucleation of bubbles.

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Figure 1: Hot steel balls (2 cm in diameter) cooling in liquid water3.

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Correspondence to David Quéré.

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Quéré, D. Leidenfrost becomes a fakir. Nature Mater 11, 915–916 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3470

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