Applicability of Cassie-Baxter equation for superhydrophobic fluoropolymer silica composite films

In this study, surface topographies and wettabilities of flat and composite rough films of perfluoro-styrene (TM/S) random copolymers with silica particles were investigated. The water and oil repellencies of flat TM/S copolymer and rough silica-TM/S composite surfaces were studied with varying perfluoro and silica contents. Increase in silica content resulted in an increase in water contact angle values; water contact angle values increased from 113 up to 170, and the resultant surfaces were showing extremely superhydrophobic behavior depending on their silica contents. However a decrease in hexadecane contact angles from 61 to 25 depending on both silica %wt and perfluoro content of the TM/S copolymer was seen. Applicability of Cassie-Baxter equation was also investigated for TM/S copolymer films with silica particles. The results showed that Cassie-Baxter equation cannot be used for superhydrophobic surfaces, however, can be applied to oleophilic surfaces with caution. The oil repellencies of TM/S flat films in the terms of contact angle hysteresis was also compared with perfluoroethyl alkyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate copolymer (TM/MMA) by using oil drops with varying surface tensions between 20.9 mN/m and 26.9 mN/m. The surface oleophobicities were changed according to the characteristics of the functional groups of MMA and S. The dependency of work of adhesion results of TM/S flat surfaces on wt.% of perfluoroalkyl content was also examined. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.