A lot of interest has been shown in mimicking Nature. Fauna and the Flora have developed uncountable mechanisms to overcome predator attacks or harsh weather for instance. By reproducing these mechanisms it becomes possible to create extremely high-performance fibers and materials such silk-spun fibers that are based on proteins from spiders. Another very interesting phenomenon is the hyper-hydrophobicity of lotus leaves known as the Lotus Leaf Effect. The lotus leaves have a rough surface with a high surface tension that causes the droplets to become perfectly round. Therefore the droplets will not adhere on the leaf. At the same time the adhesion force between the droplet and the surface of the leaf are very low which create the shelf cleaning part of the lotus leaf effect as demonstrate in the schematic below.
By assisting to the International Symposium Fiber Interfacing the World in Clemson, SC, Nicca could increase its understanding of the last innovations in the textile and fiber industries.
