Superhydrophobic soot as a mechanically robust, heat insulating and anti-corrosion protective coating for concrete surfaces

An artful strategy for protecting the concrete structures from cracking, flacking and corrosion is to make them non-wettable. Nonetheless, many hydrophobic modifiers are incompatible with the cement, hamper its hydra-tion, possess weak alkali resistance and environmental toxicity, hence, retarding the adaptability of water-repellent chemicals in building materials. In this research, we propose a possible innovative solution to the aforementioned hurdles by drop-casting silicone-turpentine blend on pre-cured concrete and depositing rapeseed oil soot to convert the surface into superhydrophobic. The as-prepared silicone-soot composite inhibits the ab-sorption of water and corrosive ions, thermally isolates the pristine concrete and withstands mechanical wear caused by abrasion, heavy rainfall, dynamic impact of sulfuric acid droplets and adhesion tape. Our invention is time-efficient, scalable and inexpensive, revealing opportunities for facile synthesis of durable superhydrophobic concrete on a large scale for aiding the construction of industrial facilities.

Automated summary

An artful strategy to protect concrete structures from cracking, flaking, and corrosion is to make them non-wettable. However, many hydrophobic modifiers are incompatible with cement, hindering its hydration and possessing weak alkali resistance and environmental toxicity, which limits the applicability of water-repellent chemicals in building materials. In this research, we propose an innovative solution by drop-casting a silicone-turpentine blend and depositing rapeseed oil soot on pre-cured concrete to convert the surface into superhydrophobic. The as-prepared silicone-soot composite inhibits water absorption and corrosive ions, thermally insulates the concrete, and withstands mechanical wear, providing opportunities for facile synthesis of durable superhydrophobic concrete on a large scale to aid industrial facility construction.