Regenerative Superhydrophobic Paper Coatings by In Situ Formation of Waxy Nanostructures

This scientific-technical approach describes a unique self-structuring coating material made of wax and polysaccharide derivatives, which results in extremely water-repellent properties if applied to solid surfaces. When cooling the coating down from the molten state, the material forms a nanostructured superhydrophobic surface within seconds. This possibility of a fast thermally induced regeneration of nanoscale surface textures creates the potential to restore superhydrophobic coating properties even after mechanical damage caused, among others, by long-term use and complex processing and machining steps. Therefore, this coating material has great potential for engineering applications such as superhydrophobic wettability of paper surfaces. Depending on a particular application, there are different requirements for the interaction of paper with water. The highest possible water resistance, which is achieved by superhydrophobic properties, is a quality feature for a majority of paper products, such as packaging materials or novel construction materials, since the ingress of moisture is a major cause of paper damage.

Automated summary

The research describes a unique self-structuring coating material made of wax and polysaccharide derivatives, which results in extremely water-repellent properties when applied to solid surfaces, particularly beneficial for engineering applications in the paper industry.