Durable, self-cleaning and anti-fouling superhydrophobic coating based on double epoxy layer

Abstract

The practical application of superhydrophobic coatings has been greatly restricted due to the complicated preparation and fragile hierarchical structures on the surface. In this study, we prepared a robust superhydrophobic coating with a double-layer structure via a low-cost and facile method, adhering the non-wettability layer composed of silica nanoparticles and fluorine-modified epoxy resin to a binder resin layer on aluminum. The fluorine-modified epoxy resin with low surface energy can fix the silica nanoparticles after curing and cross-link with the adhesive layer. When the SiO2 content in the surface layer is 40%, the water contact angle (WCA) of the coating is 162°, and the sliding angle (SA) is 2°. In the mechanical performance test, the durable coating can remain superhydrophobic even after 260 cycles of friction or 160 cycles of tape peeling. In addition, the superhydrophobic coating with self-cleaning and anti-fouling properties also has the performance of acid-base solution resistance. Hence, the combination of the rough layer and the adhesive layer makes the practical application of artificial superhydrophobic coatings possible.