A simple method for the preparation of superhydrophobic PVDF-HMFS hybrid composite coatings

A superhydrophobic surface was obtained by embedding hydrophobically modified fumed silica (HMFS) particles in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The water contact angle (WCA) on the PVDF-HMFS hybrid composite coating is influenced by the content and nature of silica particles in the coating. As the silica concentration in PVDF matrix was increased from 33.3% to 71.4%, WCA increased from 117 degrees to 168 degrees and the sliding angle decreased from 90 degrees to <1 degrees. Surface topography of the coating was examined using scanning electron microscopy. An irregular rough surface structure composed of microcavities and nano. laments was found to be responsible for the superhydrophobicity. The method is simple and cost-effective and can be used for preparing self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating on large areas of different substrates. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.