One-step rapid preparation of superhydrophobic peek with mechanical, and chemical stability

Abstract

The superhydrophobic surface has the characteristics of self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, and drag reduction. Peek materials are resistant to corrosion, abrasion, and hydrolysis. Superhydrophobic peek combined with the two has attracted widespread interest. Herein, a fast and inexpensive method was presented to fabricate superhydrophobic peek with mechanical, chemical, high-temperature, hot-water, and high-pressure water impact stability. For the first time, the periodic fringe morphology with a micro-nano hierarchical structure was processed on the surface by a nanosecond laser so that the surface of the peek became super-hydrophobic. Robustness was promoted when performing various mechanical stability tests such as sandpaper abrasion, sonication, static pressure, and tape peel test. The superhydrophobic peek surface still had good chemical stability and had excellent repulsion to droplets with pH = 1–14. The surface was resistant to high-temperature, hot-water, and high-pressure water impact. These stated features reveal the convincing potential of the method to simultaneously address robustness, flexibility, and adaptability.