What is Hydrophobic and How Does it Differ from Hydrofuge?

Hydrophobic (hydro- meaning "water" and -phobic meaning "fear" or "avoidance") refers to the property of being repelled by water. In other words, hydrophobic materials are those that do not absorb or interact well with water. This can be seen in materials such as plastics, oils, and waxes, which tend to resist wetting or penetration by water.

Hydrofuge (hydro- meaning "water" and -fuge meaning "to flee") is a term that is sometimes used to describe materials that are hydrophobic, but it is not a widely used term. It is more common to use the term hydrophobic to describe materials that have this property.

In summary, hydrophobic and hydrofuge are both terms that refer to the property of being repelled by water, but hydrophobic is a more commonly used term and hydrofuge is not as widely used.