Helanka Perera
Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE
Title: Superhydrophobic/hydrophobic coatings with fluorinated and non-fluorinated diatomaceous earth particles
Biography
Biography: Helanka Perera
Abstract
Superhydrophobic/hydrophobic coatings were made using Fluorinated (FS) and Non-Fluorinated (NFS) Silane treated Diatomaceous Earth (DE) with different polymeric resins/binders. These coatings have been characterized with contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Contact angles greater than 150° were attainable if the particles were sufficiently coated with fluorinated and non-fluorinated coupling agents and also if there were enough particles in the coatings. The critical particle loadings depended on the resin/binder system used. The behavior of these surfaces mimics that from, for example, the lotus leaf as they had low surface energies and also appropriate nano-micro structures.