Abrasion Resistance of Superhydrophobic Coatings on Aluminum Using PDMS/SiO2

Abstract

Superhydrophobic coatings have shown tremendous improvement in the usability of metals such as aluminum. These coatings are capable of adding attractive features such as self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and anti-biofouling to the array of diverse features that aluminum possesses, including lightweight and high ductility. For superhydrophobic surfaces, having considerable abrasion resistance is as important as achieving a high contact angle. In this work, two types of coatings have been prepared, each composed of functionalized silica nanoparticles along with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) dispersed in ethanol, and their superhydrophobicity and abrasion characteristics have been investigated. The same silica nanoparticles are present in each coating, but each has a different proportion of the PDMS base to its curing agent. The surface morphology of the coatings was studied with the aid of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The surface chemical composition was characterized using an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX). The prepared coatings were analyzed for their degree of superhydrophobicity, abrasion resistance and adhesion characteristics. In addition, atomic force microscopy was used to understand the adhesion characteristics of the coatings.

Self-Formation of Superhydrophobic Surfaces through Interfacial Energy Engineering between Liquids and Particles

“…The current work is compared with previous relevant reports − on using similar material systems such as PMDS and SiO 2 . Most of the work involves complicated fabrication steps.…”

Fluorine-Free Transparent Superhydrophobic Nanocomposite Coatings from Mesoporous Silica

“…The coating displayed a total decrease in contact angle by 6º over the duration of the test whilst the droplet still rolled-off the sample indicating a retention of the Cassie-Baxter state. Comparatively, coatings in literature exhibit similar or weaker durability to the test such as the coating reported by Lu et al (40 cycles), Sebastian et al (20 cycles) or Wang et al (45 cycles) though it is worth noting the latter two tested longitudinally [68][69][70]. Furthermore, despite the visible damage to the coatings' surface (Figure8c-d), the high contact angle and Cassie-Baxter state remain which indicates in combination with the adhesion test that as a layer of the coating is remover, the one underneath is also superhydrophobic.…”

Enhance the performance of photovoltaic solar panels by a self-cleaning and hydrophobic nanocoating

“…and O, which suggests the proper dispersion of silica nanoparticles throughout the coating18 , is undeniably supported by EDX data, and the presence of C, along with O, accounts for the functionalizing chemicals used. The weight percent of O, Si, and C was 41.99, 40.66, and 17.35%, respectively.…”