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Published in

MDPI, Coatings, 12(9), p. 811, 2019

DOI: 10.3390/coatings9120811

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Hydrophobic and Icephobic Behaviour of Polyurethane-Based Nanocomposite Coatings

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

In this paper, hydrophobic nanocomposite coatings based on polyurethane (PUR) modified by nano-silica and silane-based compounds were manufactured by spraying. The main challenge was to assess and improve the hydrophobic as well as anti-icing properties of initially hydrophilic polymer coatings. The prepared nanocomposite coatings were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical profilometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results obtained showed that in order to achieve hydrophobicity, appropriate amounts of nano-silica must be incorporated in the coating, and complete coverage by nano-silica particles is necessary for achieving hydrophobicity. Coating adhesion and the durability of the hydrophobic behaviour were also studied by scratch test and frosting/defrosting cycles, respectively. The results show that use of both nano-silica and silane-based compounds improve the hydrophobic and anti-icing properties of the coating as compared to a non-modified PUR topcoat. A synergistic effect of both additives was observed. It was also found that the anti-icing behaviour does not necessarily correlate with surface roughness and the materials’ wetting properties.