Journal of Bionic Engineering (2023) 20:2742–2754 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-023-00396-0

Robust Polystyrene/Fluorinated Silica Superhydrophobic Composite Coatings with Rapid Curing at Room Temperature Prepared by One?Step Spraying

Yong Wang1 · Lihua Yu1 · Junhua Xu1 · Kai Jing1 · Ningxin Mao1

Lihua Yu lhyu6@just.edu.cn

1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, 2 Mengxi Road, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract：Superhydrophobic materials are severely limited in their applications due to their weak mechanical properties and complex preparation process. In this paper, polystyrene/fluorinated silica (PS/SiO2) superhydrophobic composite coatings were prepared on the surface of 304 stainless steel using a simple one-step spraying method. The effects of different PS contents on the wettability as well as the wear properties of the samples were investigated. SiO2 was encapsulated in polystyrene to form a structure similar to cement encapsulated stones. With the addition of PS, a mound-like structure was formed on the sample surface, and a more optimized micro–nano structure was obtained when the content of PS was 0.6 g. At this time, the sample exhibited excellent wettability with a contact angle of 157.86° and a sliding angle of 0.84°. In addition, the contact angle of 151.09° was achieved after 180 cm of friction under a 100 g load and the composite coating prepared by this method also has excellent chemical stability, water impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and self-cleaning properties. This opens up new possibilities for the development of simple and robust superhydrophobic materials.

Keywords： Superhydrophobic · Room temperature curing · Mechanical durability · Corrosion resistance · Self-cleaning