Preparation and Applications of Superhydrophobic Coatings on Aluminum Alloy Surface for Anti-Corrosion and Anti-Fouling: A Mini Review

Aluminum alloy is widely used in many fields for its excellent performance. However, in practical application, aluminum alloy is easy to become corroded and be invalidated, owing to the influence of environmental factors. Some pollutants or corrosive media on its surface adhesion will further deepen the failure rate of aluminum alloy, resulting in a large amount of workforce waste, waste of material and financial resources, and energy consumption. So the anti-corrosion and anti-fouling treatment of aluminum alloy surfaces to expand their practical application range and reduce energy loss are of great significance. In this paper, we first summarize the types of anti-corrosion and anti-fouling coatings on aluminum alloy surfaces. We found that superhydrophobic coating has attracted widespread attention recently because of its surface's non-wetting and low surface energy characteristics. The superhydrophobic coating refers to a coating with a water contact angle on its surface greater than 150 degrees and a sliding angle of less than 10 degrees. Preparing superhydrophobic coatings on the surface of aluminum alloy can improve the corrosion resistance and anti-pollutant adhesion ability at the same time. Therefore, in the following part of the review, the preparation methods of superhydrophobic coatings on aluminum alloy surfaces for anti-corrosion and anti-fouling and the significant problems encountered in the practical application of the superhydrophobic coating on aluminum alloy surfaces, such as poor anti-corrosion durability and poor mechanical stability, and the existing methods to solve these critical problems, are summarized and discussed in detail. Finally, we put forward some new solutions to solve these vital issues.