Superhydrophobic coating for aerospace applications

This presentation will report on superhydrophobic coatings developed at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI^®). SwRI has developed two atmospheric coating techniques to apply a superhydrophobic coating onto a various alloy substrates including stainless steel and aluminum. The coating techniques entail a simple spray coating application and an innovative atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) technique. The coating chemistry developed from both techniques involves a fluoro-organosiloxane and a fluoroalkylsilane modified-silica nanoparticle composition. The chemical composition of these coatings creates a durable water-repelling surface.  Thin coatings of less than 6 µm were obtained with good adhesion in comparison to other commercial coatings. The coatings can be applied conformally to structured surfaces and maintain the regularity of the surface. The hydrophobicity along with the coatings durability performance and potential for aiding in drag avoidance will be discussed.