Issue 28, 2017

Super-robust superhydrophobic concrete

Abstract

Steel reinforced concrete is often used in buildings, roads and bridges, however, freeze–thaw damage and steel corrosion pose threats to the strength of concrete. Furthermore, ice formation on concrete road-surfaces greatly increases injury and fatality rates. Superhydrophobic materials are promising candidates to alleviate these problems due to their anti-corrosion and anti-icing properties. However, the weak mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces makes them difficult to apply to concrete surfaces. Here we report a facile route to fabricate superhydrophobic concrete (S-concrete) via metal mesh covering and fluoroalkylsilane modification. Comparative robustness tests, including sandpaper abrasion, knife scratch and hammer beat, were performed on commercial superhydrophobic paint + adhesive coatings and our S-concrete, which indicated that our S-concrete had far superior surface mechanical durability. To illustrate the practical prospects, we performed further tests on the S-concrete, including artificial cold rain, freeze–thaw, and corrosion under applied voltage in corrosive solution. The S-concrete showed remarkable anti-icing, anti-freeze–thaw, and anti-corrosion properties, and mechanical robustness.

Graphical abstract: Super-robust superhydrophobic concrete

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Apr. 2017
Accepted
05 Jūn. 2017
First published
05 Jūn. 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 14542-14550

Super-robust superhydrophobic concrete

J. Song, D. Zhao, Z. Han, W. Xu, Y. Lu, X. Liu, B. Liu, C. J. Carmalt, X. Deng and I. P. Parkin, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 14542 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA03526H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements