Formation mechanism and properties of superhydrophobic surface of ship plate steel

Abstract

Superhydrophobic surface of ship plate steel was constructed by chemical etching and low surface energy modification. Formation mechanism and properties of the superhydrophobic surface were investigated through SEM, FT-IR, electrochemical analysis and anti-icing evaluation. Corrosion and dissolution of ferrite creates a high-roughness surface with a micro-nano composite structure, and a monomolecular layer of low surface energy material covers steel surface through chelation coordination of stearic acid and Fe, which endows ship plate steel surface with superhydrophobicity. Compared with bare steel, the superhydrophobic surface shows high corrosion resistance, while 75.2% of surface icing is prevented, achieving the purpose of anti-water, anti-icing and corrosion resistance of ship plate steel. In addtion, the simple and cost-effective preparation technique is conducive to large-scale industrial applications in the future.