Preparation of Superhydrophobic Steel Surfaces with Chemical Stability and Corrosion

Abstract

Corrosion seriously limits the long-term application of Q235 carbon steel. Herein, a simple fabrication method was used to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces on Q235 carbon steel for anticorrosion application. The combination of structure and the grafted low-surface-energy material contributed to the formation of superhydrophobic steel surfaces, which exhibited a water contact angle of 161.6° and a contact angle hysteresis of 0.8°. Meanwhile, the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface showed repellent toward different solutions with pH ranging from 1 to 14, presenting excellent chemical stability. Moreover, the acid corrosive liquid (HCl solution with pH of 1) maintained sphere-like shape on the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface at room temperature, indicating superior corrosion resistance. This work provides a simple method to fabricate superhydrophobic steel surfaces with chemical stability and corrosion resistance.