Fluororubber superhydrophobic coating: preparation, characterisation, and EMI shielding performance

Herein, we report the preparation and characterisation of fluororubber coated superhydrophobic Poly (ethylene tetrapthalate) (PET) fabric and polyurethane (PU) sponge. The coating surface structure over PET fabric is more stable and hydrophobic (water contact angle (CA) >= 153 degrees) with mass ratio 5:1 of fluororubber/carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Fluororubber/CNT coated PET fabric has good wear resistance and hydrophobicity with repeated friction. PU sponge coated with the ratio 8:4 of fluororubber/carbon black (CB) is the best ratio showing water CA >= 157 degrees. Fluororubber/CB coated PU sponge has good oil-water separation and repeated oil absorption ability. Its absorption ability to various solvents and oils can reach 20-50 times its own weight. The EMI SE of fluororubber coating in 8.2-12.4 MHz range has improved with the increased CNTs content. The highestEMI SE valuee, i.e. 52.30 db achieved at 2.0 wt% CNT content. Developed fluororubber superhydrophobic coating material has good potential in the EMI shielding application.

Automated summary

The fluororubber coated superhydrophobic materials show good hydrophobicity and wear resistance on PET fabric and PU sponge, with potential applications in oil-water separation and absorption abilities. The EMI shielding effectiveness also improves with increased CNTs content in the coating.