High durability of non-fluorinated superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings

Abstract

In the present work, we developed eco-friendly and cost-effective nanocomposite coatings. These wax-derived coatings showed high superhydrophobicity while exhibiting mechanical and thermal robustness. The addition of nano-alumina particles in wax (Beeswax and Paraffin) significantly enhanced de-wetting (contact angle ~ 156°) with extremely low hysteresis (<5°). The Paraffin-based composite coating showed better thermal (up to 50 °C) and mechanical (Δθ≈5°) (droplet impacts) stability than Beeswax counterpart, while also sustaining outdoor exposure. The superhydrophobic coatings showed self-cleaning ability with significantly low water consumption (<1 μl/mm2). We showed that nanocomposite-wax coatings possess required durability and are potential candidates for developing non-fluorinated self-cleaning surfaces.