Production of superhydrophobic nickel-carbon nanotubes composite coating: Comparing the effect of hydrophobicity enhancement process on coating propertiesits

In the recent years, superhydrophobic coatings have attracted considerable research atention due to their excellent properties and wide practical applications. In the present study, the surface of nickel-carbon nanotube composite coating was modified by two methods A) Increasing the roughness, and B) Modification with low-surface-energy material(Stearic Acid = SA). The morphology, wetting angle and corrosion resistance of the prepared coatings were examined by field emission scanning electron microscop (FESEM), contact angle measuring instrument and potentiostat, respectively. The results showed that the contact angle of the 4 microliter water drop on the composite coating modified with SA reached 157 degrees, which indicates the superhydrophobicity of the coating. The current density and corrosion rate of the SA modified coating showed a reduction of more than 97% compared to the highly roughness coating. It was concluded that, the presence of the SA in super hydrophobic coating can act as a barrier against the penetration of corrosive ions through the coating and consequently can reduce the corrosion rate.