Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic zinc coatings with corrosion resistanceviaan electrodeposition process

Chuanbo Hu, Xinying Xie, Hui Zheng, Yongquan Qing, Kangning Ren*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this investigation, we demonstrated a controlled electrodeposition method by varying the current density to generate hierarchical structures of zinc (Zn) on a carbon steel surface, which serves as a hydrophobic and anticorrosion coating when further modified by stearic acid to form a covalently bonded layer that offers low surface energy. The chemical composition, surface morphology and roughness of the modified Zn coatings were analyzedviaX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The water contact angle and wettability tests have shown that the modified Zn coating with a micro/nanostructure displayed a water contact angle of 158.7° and a sliding angle of 6.4°, indicating strong superhydrophobicity. Interestingly, the modified Zn coating with a micro/nanostructure exhibited strong mechanical stability during knife scratching and adhesive tape peeling tests. In addition, the modified superhydrophobic Zn coating showed improved corrosion resistance that provided protection to the carbon steel. The protection mechanism can be attributed to the hierarchical micro/nanostructure of the Zn surface itself and the formation of a hydrophobic zinc stearate complex compound. The superhydrophobic Zn coating has good application prospects in a neutral corrosion environment, where it retards corrosion and reduces the adhesion of water.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)8890-8901
Number of pages12
JournalNew Journal of Chemistry
Volume44
Issue number21
Early online date12 May 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Jun 2020

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Catalysis
  • Chemistry(all)
  • Materials Chemistry

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