Hydrophobic coatings based on acrylic copolymers and the effect of adding nano silica

In this study, water based acrylic copolymers were used as base coatings and the effect of adding silica nanoparticles was investigated in the hydrophobic properties of coating. In addition, the presence of titanium dioxide nano particles creates the self-cleansing properties in the coating. In this study, calcium carbonate stones are used as the mineral substrate from the historical site of Persepolis in Fars province. The morphology and cross-sectional of coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Characterization of these materials was carried out with the various analyzes, including the FTIR, X-Ray Analysis (XRD), Atomic Force Electron Microscopy (AFM), and Contact Angle measurements. The results indicated that the addition of nano silica to acrylic copolymers improves hydrophobic properties. Furthermore, nano silica improves surface roughness and improves resistance to artificial aging conditions (accelerated weathering test). In addition, the photocatalytic effect of samples with titanium dioxide particles was investigated at different interval times.