Robust transferrable superhydrophobic surfaces

Abstract

In this study, we present a simple and inexpensive method for enhancing the robustness of aluminium-based superhydrophobic surfaces and identify a method for reliably evaluating the degradation of such surfaces. A superhydrophobic aluminium surface was prepared by a chemical etching and hydrophobic coating. Hydrophobized aluminium particles on the surface were then transferred to adhesive strips. Scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurements were conducted before and after water-jet and mechanical abrasion tests to evaluate the robustness of the superhydrophobic surfaces. Following the tests, the advancing contact angle remained unchanged while the receding contact angle depended on the adhesive strength of the surface. The receding contact angle on the superhydrophobic adhesive strip was found to decrease at a reduced rate, as compared to the original superhydrophobic aluminium surface. The receding contact angle was also measured to increase with the adhesive strength of the strips, demonstrating better overall superhydrophobic performance.

Self-healing system of superhydrophobic surfaces inspired from and beyond nature

“…Based on this, a superhydrophobic surface is usually prepared to construct a hierarchical structure first, and then to modify with low surface energy substances. There are many methods to achieve this hierarchical structure, such as etching, 13 sol–gel method, 14 template method, 15 spraying method, 16 electrospinning 17 and self-assembling. 18 The properties of superhydrophobic coatings are determined by surface chemistry, morphology and adhesion to the substrate but surface resistance to liquids depends only on surface chemistry and morphology.…”

Fabrication of a durable anti-icing composite coating based on polyurethane elastomer and silica nanoparticles

“…With this in mind, it is urgently needed to develop superhydrophobic coatings with ultralow ice adhesion strength for the aircraft anti-icing system. Based on the Wenzel wetting model, the preparation methods for superhydrophobic coatings are mainly categorized on making rough surface from hydrophobic materials [16,17], modifying rough structures with low surface energy materials [18,19] and using materials with low surface energy to fabricate integrated rough microstructures [20][21][22][23]. However, the superhydrophobic coatings (SHCs) fabricated by the first two approaches are fragile and often destroyed during application as a result of surface flaking.…”

A Novel Simple Fabrication Method for Mechanically Robust Superhydrophobic 2024 Aluminum Alloy Surfaces

“…Among these approaches, chemical etching has been highlighted on account of its low cost and high efficiency. Furthermore, several kinds of chemicals, including acid [12][13][14][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]52,53], salt [50,51] and alkali [15,[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] solutions, have been widely used as etchants. Among these etchants, alkali solution is preferable because it is more beneficial for the environment.…”