Fabrication of stable homogeneous superhydrophobic HDPE/graphene oxide surfaces on zinc substrates

Abstract

Homogeneous superhydrophobic coatings were prepared on zinc substrates using ethanol–xylene solutions of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containing 0, 1 or 5 wt% graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature. The resulting films display a superhydrophobic character with a static water contact angle higher than 150°. The superhydrophobic films provide an effective corrosion-resistant coating for the zinc interface upon immersion in an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (3% NaCl) for up to 29 days. The corrosion process was investigated by following the change of the water contact angle over time and by electrochemical means. The presence of GO in the HDPE film was found to increase the corrosion resistance.