Durable Liquid- and Solid-Repellent Elastomeric Coatings Infused with Partially Crosslinked Lubricants

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Tribology

Background:

• Robust liquid and solid repellent surfaces are crucial for industrial and biomedical fields.
• Existing antifouling surfaces often lack mechanical durability and are prone to damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate durable, omniphobic elastomeric coatings with enhanced mechanical properties.
• To develop a new material design parameter for abrasion-resistant polymeric coatings.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of partially crosslinked omniphobic polyurethane (omni-PU) coatings.
• Evaluation of liquid and solid foulant repellency.
• Assessment of cyclic abrasion resistance compared to state-of-the-art surfaces.
• Integration of wetting and tribology models to define a new design parameter (K_AR).

Main Results:

• The omni-PU coatings demonstrated repellency to a wide range of liquid and solid foulants.
• The fabricated coatings exhibited an order of magnitude greater resistance to cyclic abrasion than existing slippery surfaces.
• A new material design parameter, K_AR, was introduced for abrasion-resistant polymeric coatings.

Conclusions:

• The developed omni-PU coatings offer a unique combination of broad antifouling properties and superior mechanical durability.
• These robust coatings have potential applications in diverse fields, including biocompatible implants, underwater vehicles, and robotics.