Compression molding of ethylene–octene copolymer‐toughened polypropylene/graphene surfaces with actively controlled shape‐morphing microarchitectures induced by friction and wear

Superhydrophobic microarchitectured polyolefin surfaces are currently used intensively in various industrial applications. However, the deployment of products made of these materials into practical application is typically constrained by their inferior dry sliding behaviors, which stem from their limited strength and toughness. To obtain reinforced and toughened superhydrophobic microstructured surfaces that can be easy to demold and overcome friction in the workplace, elastomeric ethylene–octene copolymer (POE) and rigid graphene (GP) were introduced into the polypropylene (PP) matrix to prepare microstructured PP/POE/GP surfaces by compression molding. The elongation at break is significantly improved by 2000% and reached up to 520.33%. The contact angle (CA) of the microstructured PP/POE/GP surface increases to 154.4°. They exhibit superhydrophobic and low adhesion characteristic, that is, lotus effect. The enhanced toughness of PP/POE/GP composites reduces wear debris and damage to microarchitecture during the abrasion process. Even after the microstructured PP/POE/GP surfaces were worn after a distance length of 3000 mm, they still exhibited superhydrophobic, but high adhesion characteristic, that is, petal effect. The controlled shape‐morphing microarchitectures formed on the microstructured PP/POE/GP surface abraded after 1000 mm, possessing wetting stability during droplet impacting.Highlights The elongation at break of composites was improved by 2000% through adding POE. The composite microstructure deforms to consume energy during abrasion and POE reinforces this energy dissipation process. POE improves fracture toughness and wetting stability of composites.