Omniphobic carbon steel surface with good wax-repellent performance

Abstract

In this report, superhydrophobic and omniphobic coatings were produced by a combination of creating a ZnO micro/nanostructure on the carbon steel surface and coating a low surface energy material. Before reducing the surface energy with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane, the steel surface was electrodeposited by a micro/nanostructured ZnO layer for a controlled deposition time. The process resulted in the steel surfaces being superhydrophobic (contact angle of 165 ± 2o) and omniphobic with white oil, diesel oil (contact angle of 135 ± 2o) and paraffin (contact angle of 127 ± 2o). The properties of superhydrophobic/omniphobic steel surfaces were then fully analysed by SEM, XRD, FTIR and contact angle measurements.