Plant-Waste Coating Offers PFAS-Free Water Repellency
The research-stage SLIP coating could replace forever chemicals in packaging and construction, pending industrial scale-up.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Chemistry
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Washington University in St. Louis researchers developed SLIP, a nontoxic coating that repels water as an alternative to PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals used in packaging, fire protection, and waterproof coatings. The study was published in the journal Matter; the material is at the research stage and is not described as commercially available.
Why it matters
PFAS persist in the environment and cause billions of dollars in damage to human health and the environment, so an affordable, abundant replacement addresses a costly problem. SLIP's plant-derived inputs point toward materials that could be made from agricultural and paper-industry waste rather than fluorinated chemistry.
The Texas A&M estimate places avoidable annual societal damage at $1.1 billion if PFAS were replaced with SLIP. The figure is a projection from a cost analysis, not a measured result from field deployment.
The players
Washington University in St. Louis
A research university whose team developed the SLIP coating from plant-derived lignin and fatty acids.
Texas A&M University
A research university that collaborated on estimating the cost savings of replacing PFAS with SLIP.
The details
SLIP stands for superhydrophobic lignin-integrated particles, and it is built by linking lignin, a structural polymer found in plant cell walls, to fatty acids. The team also incorporated the structure of suberin, a waterproof molecule that plants use to seal their tissues, and added a polylactic acid binder to hold the particles together. The result repels water and resists ultraviolet degradation, and it is designed to break down into harmless organic matter.
Timeline
Matter published the study in 2026.
Researchers' cost estimate was produced in collaboration with Texas A&M University.
The Tech Race
Researchers are seeking fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings to replace PFAS in packaging and fire protection. SLIP is one such entry, and its plant-waste inputs position it against fluorinated alternatives in a field still at the research stage.
SLIP is at the research stage and is not available to consumers or manufacturers yet. Its path to packaging or construction materials depends on the scale-up and biorefinery integration the team is still pursuing.
The takeaway
Watch for the team's planned oil- and fireproofing work, which would widen SLIP's use beyond water repellency. A follow-up scale-up demonstration with a biorefinery or paper-and-pulping partner would be the next concrete signal that the coating can move past the lab.
Further reading
For broader context on the materials science behind these coatings, explore more Chemistry coverage.
More information
Read the peer-reviewed Matter journal study on fluorine-free superhydrophobic coatings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by AZoCleantech.
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