Robust superhydrophobic silicone/epoxy functional coating with excellent chemical stability and self-cleaning ability
Weidong Huang, Xiaoli Jiang, Yagang Zhang, Zhiqiang Tang, Zicai Sun, Zhijun Liu, Lin Zhao, Yanxia Liu
Abstract
composite coatings have a water contact angle of 161.1° and a sliding angle of 3.4°, demonstrating high superhydrophobic properties. Benefitting from the complementary advantages of silicone/epoxy resin, the prepared composite coatings maintain remarkable water repellency after various harsh environmental tests, including cyclic mechanical abrasion and tape-stripping, acid-base (pH 1 and pH 14) treatment, 10 wt% NaCl (pH 7) salt solution immersion, temperature treatment, knife scratching, and long-term ultraviolet radiation treatment, showing reinforced mechanical robustness and durable anti-corrosion stability. Notably, surface hardness of 5H and optical transparency over 80% can be achieved. The simple method offers a novel approach for the large-scale preparation of multifunctional superhydrophobic coatings.