Wettability Study of an Acidified Nano-TiO₂ Superhydrophobic Surface

The operation of aerospace equipment is often affected by icing and frosting. In order to reduce the loss caused by icing in the industrial field, it is an effective method to prepare superhydrophobic coatings by modifying nanoparticles with low surface energy materials. In order to explore a method of preparing a superhydrophobic surface that can be popularized, a two-step spraying method was employed to create a superhydrophobic coating. The surface was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimal preparation process was obtained by analyzing the surface contact angle data. The results showed that stearic acid was grafted onto the surface of TiO₂ by esterification reaction. The existence of long methyl and methylene hydrophobic groups in the tail of the stearic acid molecule made the modified TiO₂ hydrophobic. It is verified that water molecules have strong adsorption on the surface of unmodified TiO₂. Stearic acid molecules can reduce the interfacial energy in the system.