Superhydrophobic surface production

People know the self-cleaning lotus effect for many years, but can not make the material as the lotus leaf surfaces. By nature, the typical superhydrophobic surface – study found that lotus leaf, constructed with a special geometry of roughness in the low surface energy solid surface plays an important role on superhydrophobic.Based on these principles, the scientists began to mimic this surface. Now, research on rough superhydrophobic surface has been quite a lot of coverage.

In general, the superhydrophobic surface can be prepared by two methods:
One is to build a roughness on the surface of a hydrophobic material; Another is to modify the low surface energy material on the roughened surface. For example, materials scientists can prepare a variety of bionic superhydrophobic surface carbon nanotube arrays, carbon nanofibers, polymer nanofibers, etc., by surface treatment.

About the development of superhydrophobic surface method summed up are: melt solidification, etching, chemical vapor deposition, anodic oxidation, polymerization, phase separation and template method. However, these methods involve complex chemical substances and crystal growth, the experimental conditions are harsh, high cost, not for industrial production, and thus its practical application is limited. At the same time these preparation methods on the substrate is relatively high, it can not be extended to the material surface engineering.

Applications superhydrophobic surface:
Superhydrophobic surfaces in industrial and agricultural production and people’s daily lives have a very broad application prospects. The leaves of the “self-cleaning” feature inspired people super hydrophobic surface is applied to daily self-cleaning technology. For example: it can be used to prevent snow, pollution prevention, anti-oxidation and prevent current conduction. If the walls, billboards and other outdoor surfaces like buildings, like the lotus leaf, it can be kept clean.