Fabrication and properties of PANI-ZnO/SiO2 photothermal corrosion-resistant integrated coating on aluminum alloy surfaces
Abstract
Icing severely damages outdoor equipment, such as power transmission lines and wind turbine blades, posing safety hazards. Utilizing photothermal materials to construct anti-icing coatings is a promising approach. However, existing photothermal hydrophobic coatings suffer from low light absorption efficiency and slow heating rates, limiting their widespread application. Therefore, developing coatings that integrate simple and efficient de-icing and corrosion-resistant functions is urgent. In this study, ZnO-coated SiO2 particles were synthesized via in situ chemical reactions, and a PANI-ZnO/SiO2 photothermal corrosion-resistant integrated composite coating was constructed on the surface of aluminum alloy. Results showed that the obtained PZS-1.0 coating had a three-dimensional coral-like network structure. Under sunlight, the photothermal composite coating achieved a temperature rise (ΔT) of 74 °C within 90 seconds. Notably, due to the synergistic photothermal effect of ZnO and PANI, the bottom of a completely frozen droplet was initiated to melt within 20 seconds and fully melted within 80 seconds, with the surface temperature reaching 17.8 °C. Importantly, excellent corrosion resistance was demonstrated by the coating, with a self-corrosion potential (Ecorr) of −681.07 mV and a maximum polarization resistance of 4307 Ω cm2. This photothermal corrosion-resistant integrated coating offers a new solution for the application of aluminum alloy in high-voltage transmission and marine engineering, showing broad application prospects.