Robust icephobic, and anticorrosive plasma polymer coating

The durability of the superhydrophobic coatings is an important factor in the lifetime of a coating under extreme environmental conditions. In this study, a superhydrophobic surface was developed by using low pressure plasma polymerized HMDSO coatings on an anodized aluminum surface. The stability of coating was studied under accelerated aging conditions such as several icing/de-icing cycles, UV degradation, immersion in distilled water as well as corrosion. It was found that the developed surface can keep its superhydrophobicity (contact angle ~156°) as well as its icephobic properties even after up to 15 icing/de-icing cycles. It was also observed that the coating has a relatively good stability against UV degradation. In addition, the superhydrophobic surface can keep hydrophobic properties after 1000 h immersion in distilled water. Finally, the superhydrophobic plasma polymerized HMDSO coating also provides anti-corrosion protection for the aluminum substrate.