Influence of Abrasive Load on Wettability and Corrosion Inhibition of a Commercial Superhydrophobic Coating

The poor mechanical stability of hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces and coatings severely hinder their commercial and industrial applicability. In addition to being expensive and time-consuming to manufacture, the ability of these coatings to maintain their non-wetting properties after mechanical abrasion and wear is currently not well-understood. In this work, the influence of increasing abrasive loads on the roughness, wettability, and corrosion inhibition properties of a commercial superhydrophobic coating was studied. It was shown that the wetting and corrosion properties of the superhydrophobic coating was affected by the abrasive load. Increasing abrasive loads were applied using a tribometer and the electrochemical response was studied using open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The wetting and roughness behavior of the coating before and after the application of the abrasive load was characterized using contact angle, contact angle hysteresis, and optical profilometry. The protective properties of the superhydrophobic coating was observed to deteriorate as the abrasive load increased. Similarly, after a specific abrasive load, the coating transitioned from the Cassie-Baxter state of wetting into that of the Wenzel state.