Fluorinated epoxy based superhydrophobic coating with robust self-healing and anticorrosive performances

Superhydrophobic surfaces are promising candidates for alleviating notorious corrosion phenomena due to their excellent water repellence. However, superhydrophobic surfaces often possessed with fragile structure stability as well as relatively complex fabrication processes, severely hindering their great potential for broad practical applications in various conditions. Herein, through a facile one-step spray process, a self-healing superhydrophobic coating with excellent anticorrosion performances were developed, by mixing fluorinated epoxy resin (FEP) matrix with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particles and ceresine wax. The surface maintains robust superhydrophobicity even under harsh conditions (e.g., physical impact, acid, alkali or salt solutions), hence effectively preventing corrosive ions from approaching the surface. Moreover, the superhydrophobic coating also displays remarkable self-healing performances stemming from the introduced ceresine wax, and exhibits excellent recovery of anti-corrosion performance in damaged areas after a rapid heating treatment. The combination of a superhydrophobic performance and self-healing function can significantly enhance the anticorrosion performances of coatings to provide a long-term protection for metals. Therefore, this coating may find promising applications in long-term metal corrosion protection under harsh working conditions.