Scale-Up of a Reaction Chamber for Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on Silicone Nanofilaments

The facile and cheap large-scale production of superhydrophobic surfaces is one of the major challenges to exploit the commercial potential of strongly water-repellent materials. Here, we present the scale-up of a gas-phase reaction process for coating different materials with silicone nanofilaments and rendering them thereby superhydrophobic. As compared to the lab-scale equipment, the chamber volume of the pilot plant is larger by a factor of 1300, and the maximum sample dimension is similar to 2 m. Design and technical issues of the pilot plant are presented. The achieved contact angles above 150 degrees and sliding angles below 20 degrees compare well to those achieved on the lab scale. Coated samples with dimensions on the order of meters such as fabric or window glass are presented.