Superhydrophobic aluminium-based surfaces: Wetting and wear properties of different CVD-generated coating types

Abstract In view of generating superhydrophobic aluminium-based surfaces, this work presents further results for the combination of anodic oxidation as the primary pretreatment method and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) variants for chemical modification producing coatings of 250–1000 nm thickness. In detail, CVD involved the utilisation of i – hexafluoropropylene oxide as precursor within the hot filament CVD process for the deposition of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) coatings at alternative conditions ( PTFE-AC ) and ii – 1,3,5-trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane for the deposition of polysiloxane coatings ( PSi ) by initiated CVD. The substrate material was Al Mg1 subjected to usual or intensified sulphuric acid anodisation pretreatments ( SAAu , SAAi , respectively) affording various degrees of surface micro-roughness ( SAAu ) to the oxidic layers. Performance characteristics were evaluated in the original as-coated states and after standardised artificial weathering and/or mild wear testing. Superhydrophobicity (SH) was observed with the system SAAi + PTFE-AC similarly to former findings with the standard hot filament CVD PTFE coating variant ( SAAi + PTFE-SC ). The results indicated that the specific coating morphology made an important contribution to the water-repellency, because even some of the SAAu -based samples tended to reveal SH. Subjecting samples to weathering treatment resulted in a general worsening of the wetting behaviour, primarily limited to the receding contact angles. These tendencies were correlated with the chemical composition of the sample surfaces as analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The wear tests showed, as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurement, that the PTFE coatings were relatively sensitive to friction. This was connected with a dramatic deterioration of the water-repelling properties. PSi -coated surfaces generally showed rather poor water-repellency, but this coating type was surprisingly resistant towards the applied friction test. From these findings it may be concluded that the combination of hydrophobic fluorine containing structure elements and cross-linking of the polymeric chains would likely afford highly durable SH.