Corrosion and fouling behaviours of copper-based superhydrophobic coating

Abstract

A preparation technology of superhydrophobic coating on copper substrate was studied. Surface morphology and wettability of the superhydrophobic coating were characterised. The preparation mechanism was analysed. Corrosion and fouling behaviours of the superhydrophobic coating were investigated by electrochemical workstation and immersion experiments. The results show that ultrasonic assistance can shorten etching time and improve the etching uniformity of copper substrate. The optimum fabrication process parameters of superhydrophobic coating on copper substrate were obtained. The concentration of octadecanoic acid in the ethanol solution is 0.02 mol L⁻¹, the immersion temperature is 35°C and the immersion time is 120 h. Under these conditions, micro–nano long-strip structure can be formed on the surface of copper substrate, and the static contact angle can be up to 157° and contact angle hysteresis is 4.2°. The superhydrophobic coating shows better anti-corrosion and anti-fouling properties on copper substrate compared with the surface of bare copper.