Robust Superhydrophobic Surface on Polypropylene with Thick Hydrophobic Silica Nanoparticle-Coated Films Prepared by Facile Compression Molding

Superhydrophobic surfaces have been extensively studied for their unique interfacial interaction between water and the surface, and they can be used for self-cleaning, drag reduction, anti-icing, and other applications. To make the superhydrophobic surfaces, nano/microscale structures and a low surface energy should be realized. The development of a durable superhydrophobic surface was hindered by the vulnerability of the surface to mechanical contact. To improve the robustness of the superhydrophobic surface toward mechanical damage, the hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) surface was coated with a thick layer of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles (SNPs) using a simple compression molding process. The thick layer consists of SNPs and PP, and the roles of SNPs and PP are nano/microscale structures with a low surface energy and binder for nanoparticles, respectively. This revealed improvement in the superhydrophobic tendency, with an apparent contact angle of about 170 degrees and a sliding angle of less than 5 degrees. The morphology and the corresponding elemental analysis of the PP/SNPs coated films were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry. The mechanical durability of the superhydrophobic surface was evaluated by the scotch tape test and scratch test with sandpaper. The coated films with SNPs showed the superhydrophobic behavior after 25 tape tests. In addition, the coated films with SNPs showed a contact angle greater than 150 degrees and a sliding angle less than 10 degrees after a 100-cm scratch test with 1000 grit sandpaper, under a weight of 500 g, on an area of 40 x 40 mm(2). The chemical stability of PP/SNPs coated films was also investigated in acidic, neutral, and alkaline medium solutions. The films showed good stability under the acidic and neutral medium solutions even after 24 h, but an alkaline medium could damage the surface. The obtained results demonstrated the robustness of the superhydrophobic coating with SNPs.

Automated summary

By coating the hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) surface with a thick layer of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles (SNPs) using a compression molding process, the study demonstrated improvement in the superhydrophobic tendency and enhanced durability of the surface under various mechanical and chemical conditions. The results highlight the robustness of the superhydrophobic coating with SNPs.