Fabrication of Polypropylene Super-Hydrophobic Surface Using PTFE-Coated-Sieves Template via Templating and Splitting Process

Abstract

Super-hydrophobic Polypropylene surfaces were prepared employing combination method of replicating an artificial template and subsequent lifting off the master via a splitting way. The super-hydrophobic polypropylene surface, which was prepared using a 500-mesh PTFE-coated sieve, has gradient structures that microbumps with typical height and radius of approximately 20 µm and nano bundles on top of the bump surface. This surface exhibits the same self-cleaning property as the lotus leaf with water contact angle of 152.2 ± 2° and sliding angle less than 5°. The whole preparation process is simple, efficient, large-scale-prepare and environmentally friendly without organic solvents pollution.

Keywords:

• Polypropylene
• Sieve
• Split
• Super-hydrophobic surface
• Template

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant No.: 21071081) and National Significant Science and Technology special project of Water Pollution Control and Treatment (Grant No.: 2008ZX07101-002, 2008ZX07101-006, 2008ZX07101-001-02, 2009ZX07528-005-03-02).