A flexible superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane porous surface with good self-cleaning function prepared by supercritical CO2 foaming

Abstract

Porous surfaces show great potential for superhydrophobic applications. Supercritical CO2 foaming is a green technology for preparing porous materials, but it is rarely used to prepare porous surfaces due to the non-porous skin caused by the escape of gas. In this study, a porous thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) surface with dense cell and small cell spacing is prepared by employing bilayer TPU sheet to restrict the escape of gas from surfaces. The influence of the foaming pressure and temperature on the cells of the TPU surface is researched. Furthermore, bimodal cells are obtained by regulating the foaming process and the effect of cell structure on wettability is investigated. Subsequently, a flexible superhydrophobic material with low water-adhesion, mechanical stability, and self-cleaning properties is successfully prepared by modifying fluorinated silica particles on porous TPU surfaces.