Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.59, No.42, 18873-18886, 2020
Evaluation of the Engineering Applications of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces Achieved by a Spraying-Adhering Process Using Different Combinations of Hydrophobic Particles and Adhesives
In this study, the performance and industrial applicability of superhydrophobic metal surfaces prepared by a spraying-adhering process using combined coatings of six typical adhesives and seven hydrophobic particles were evaluated. Six superhydrophobic metal surface combinations were fabricated based on ethyl alpha-cyanoacrylate and polydimethylsiloxane as adhesives and polytetrafluorethylene, perfluoroalkoxy, and fluorinated ethylene propylene as hydrophobic particles, which were selected due to their excellent superhydrophobicity and stability. The designed surfaces were successfully used for some typical harsh industrial operations, including scale inhibition and phase separation, indicating their promising application prospects. Mechanism analysis showed that the difference between the surface energies (gamma(s)) of the adhesives and particles decided the morphology, superhydrophobicity, and adhesion of the obtained surfaces and evoked two coating models in preparation, multicoating, and single-coating models, according to the high low value of adhesive gamma(s), respectively. In addition, the smaller of the solubility parameter difference (Delta delta) between the adhesives and particles, the stronger wearability of the obtained surface. This study provides a referral strategy for the further development of superhydrophobic metal surfaces for industrial applications.