Robust Superhydrophobic Surface with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Micro sized Aluminum Particles and SiO2 nano-particles

In recent years, many studies have been done to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces. These surfaces have slip condition which cause self-cleaning property and also drag reduction. The hierarchical micro/nanostructures which are coated with a low surface energy material are needed to fabricate high static contact angle superhydrophobic surfaces. In order to have thermal stability, chemical resistance and low surface energy Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) is used in this research. To produce the superhydrophobic surface, an appropriate layer of Teflon is coated on the aluminum substrate and the micron sized aluminum particles are deposited on the Teflon layer by fluidizing method. Then to reduce surface energy, the second Teflon layer is sprayed on the top of the aluminum particles. At the end using sprayed method the hydrophobic nano-particles of silica are deposited on the surface as a final hydrophobic layer. The effect of Teflon thickness, size of micro-particles and adding hydrophobic nano-particles are investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the cured surfaces show that application of micro-particles, prevent surface to be smooth after curing, create appropriate micro-scale structures and also cause micro-scale cracks compared to smooth Teflon surfaces. The creation of these micro-structures leads to increasing in static contact angle and decreasing in dynamic angle of surfaces. By modifying the surface structures with aluminum micro-particles, Teflon layer coat and subsequent deposition of hydrophobic silica nano-particles, static contact angle of 165±3° and dynamic angle of less than 7 degrees are achieved.