6. Challenges and prospects

Lyophobic heterogeneous systems offer a potential for applications that has yet to be fully explored. Their dynamic behavior, which is remarkable compared with current technologies as a whole, is conducive to the impulse storage of mechanical energy with a power density of over 100 kW.L ^–1 . The energy stored can be totally, partially or not restored, covering a wide range of applications from high-efficiency reversible energy storage (over 90%), to the use of energy "wells" for shock absorption. Phenomena related to the thermodynamics of interfaces, electrostatics and electrokinetics, coupled with dynamic wetting in confined environments, further broaden the horizon of possible applications.

Several companies are working on the implementation of these systems, but no commercial device exists to date.

...