Waterproof coatings (or superhydrophobic coatings) are coatings that have found a great deal of application in terms of the maritime sector, as they help with the following:
*Preventing corrosion/ice
*Reducing friction
*Protecting ship hulls
*Keeping windscreens clear
On the other hand, they can also easily get damaged and need to be reapplied thanks in large part to the fact that their water-repellency ability is because of micro- or nanoscale features. Throughout the past five years, an interest in materials that are “self-healing” has been growing, as it’s felt that they could act as a more long-term superhydrophobic coating for many different types of surfaces.
A team in China recently succeeded in developing a coating that uses water as a dispersion medium rather than solvents that are more volatile. Upon conducting their experiments, superhydrophobic emulsions were able to be sprayed onto various substances and left to dry in a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.
The coating that was created successfully adhered to the following:
*Aluminum
*Cotton
*Glass
*Wood
Additionally, it was also shown to be superhydrophobic once the silica nanoparticle content that had been modified exceeded 20 wt%, with the optimal composition being 40 wt%, which caused water contact angles to achieve a temperature of ~155 degrees.
Mechanical load was also applied to the coated substances and were being pressed down on with fingers; however, all of the samples remained superhydrophobic. Additionally, a self-cleaning ability was also demonstrated.
Currently, everything is restricted to a laboratory at lab-scale; however, the creators claim that the production process itself meet all industrial coating production requirements.
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