Super-hydrophobic magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC): from structural control to self-cleaning property evaluation

In this paper, magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC), which has a needle-like structure, is upgraded with super-hydrophobic surface using a facile method involving immersion in a FAS-ethanol solution. The influence of the molar ratios of the raw materials on the super-hydrophobic property was investigated. The phase compositions, microstructure, compressive strength, water resistance and wetting behaviour are studied in detail by X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, a water contact angle measurement instrument, and mechanical testing. The water contact angle of as-prepared MOC reaches 152 +/- 1 degrees for the optimal mix design. The variation of the water contact angle of different mixes can be explained by the Cassie-Baxter model. The experiments using rolling off dust on the super hydrophobic surface present excellent self-cleaning ability. Moreover, proposed super hydrophobic surface exhibited excellent UV-durability, indicating a promising potential for the outdoor application.