SUPEROLEOPHOBIC NANOCOATINGS FOR SMART GREEN HOME APPLICATION

Abstract

The use of nanotechnology has incited much interest due to its wide applicability across all science fields. In recent years, there is an increase in usage of nanocoatings as it is able to impart specific properties and enhance the performance of the material. One particular property is the ability to repel oil. This type of nanocoating is called an oleophobic nanocoating and it has “self-cleaning” capabilities.

The use of “self-cleaning” nanocoatings is a way to reduce building material’s surface maintenance. This is especially so for building façade because façade maintenance is labour-intensive and expensive in the long run. Therefore, there is an increasing need for “self-cleaning” surfaces as it greatly reduces the need for labour and cleaning detergents that are harmful to the environment.

In this study, a total of 21 materials are tested to find out its oleophobic properties by measuring and analysing their oil contact angles (OCA). The objective of this research is to rank and investigate the oleophobicity of the surface coating through three different enhancement method which are the use of different binder thickness, addition of SiO2 nanoparticles and the addition of a silane coating on SiO2 nanoparticles. This study also hopes to validate that oleophobicity can be enhanced via surface modification through the reduction of surface energy and the addition of surface roughness. The results obtained from this research is to be built upon senior’s research to create a data repository that can still be added upon in the future.

Through this research, we have discovered one oleophobic coating and three superoleophilic coating on tiles. After conducting a thorough analysis of the results, it was found that the reduction of surface energy and the addition of surface roughness is able to improve a coating’s oleophobicity performance. However, this research has its limitation due to a lack of time, proper equipment and standardisation.