Surface Super-Hydrophobicity of Aluminum Alloy and its Corrosion and Anti-Icing Properties

Aluminum alloy was subjected to anodization and then treated with a mixture of dodecanoic acid and aluminum sulfate, which produced an aluminum alloy that was extremely hydrophobic. Using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the surface structure and composition of the aluminum alloy samples were examined. The results showed that the dodecanoic acid and aluminum sulfate mixture-treated aluminum alloy surface underwent etching while also absorbing aluminum dodecanoate, resulting in a micro-nano conical nonuniform structure. With a static contact angle (CA) of 156(degrees), the superhydrophobic aluminum alloy has exceptional anti-icing and self-cleaning qualities. When compared to anodized aluminum alloys, the superhydrophobic aluminum alloy exhibits improved corrosion resistance in a 3.5wt.% NaCl solution.