Superhydrophobic Surface on Insulators by Using Perfluoropolyether-Functionalized Silica Nanostructures for Preventing Stress Corrosion Cracking at the Pin–Cement Junction

Abstract

Stress corrosion accounts for 52% of the recorded breakdown of insulators utilized in transmission lines which may interfere with the reliability of power utilities. The suggested etching-free treatment is a workable environmentally benign method to prevent stress corrosion, even in old insulators with more excellent surface imperfections or cracks. The resilient slippery coating is developed on an insulator surface to address the challenges by infusing perfluoropolyether, lubricating oil into a porous nano-silica surface. The proposed coating layer, thickness 35.4 μm, exhibits superhydrophobicity with contact angle─160°, contact angle hysteresis─4°, self-healing, corrosion resistance with a corrosion rate of 2 × 10–3 mm/Y, Icorr 2.01 × 10–7 A/cm2, and 98% anti-bacterial adhesion performance against sulfate reducing bacterial stains. The outcome of this research is expected to pave the way for an approach to the future creation of incredibly robust etching-free coatings for insulators.