Biodegradable superhydrophobic coating
Scientists have described the preparation and application of a biodegradable and superhydrophobic polylactic acid/carnauba wax coating.
A biodegradable superhydrophobic polylactic acid-carnauba wax (PLA/CW) coating was fabricated via a simple spray-coating method. The PLA/CW coating displayed excellent superhydrophobicity, low contact angle hysteresis (water contact angle at 160.4° and water sliding angle at only 6°) and superior heat resistance, due to the low surface energy of CW and high melting point of PLA. The obtained coating also showed capability in application of self-cleaning, aqueous-liquid-residues reduction and oil-water separation.
Promising potential in commercial use
Compared with the conventional superhydrophobic materials involving complicated methods and hardly-degradable materials, PLA/CW coating is fully biodegradable with simple and low-cost fabrication method. The researchers believe that such a PLA/CW coating opens up opportunities for efficient fabrication of biodegradable superhydrophobic coating and exhibits promising potential in commercial use.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 177, April 2023.
