Preparation of Ultrafine Fly Ash-Based Superhydrophobic Composite Coating and Its Application to Foam Concrete

• Main Authors: Huiping Song, Mingxiu Tang, Xu Lei, Zhengjun Feng, Fangqin Cheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: ultrafine fly ash (UFA); foam concrete; superhydrophobic; coating; waterproofing; 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (HFDS)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/10/2187

The waterproof and thermal insulation property of foamed concrete is very important. In this study, the ultrafine fly ash (UFA)-based superhydrophobic composite coating was applied onto foam concrete. The UFA-based base coating that closely adhered to the concrete initially improved the waterproofness of the test block, and the silane coupling agent-modified UFA-based surface coating further achieved superhydrophobicity. The UFA on the coating surface and the asperities on the surface jointly formed a lotus leaf-like rough micro–nanostructure. The 154.34° water drop contact angle and 2.41° sliding angle on No. 5 coating were reached, indicating that it was a superhydrophobic surface. The water absorption ratios of the composite coating block were 1.87% and 16.6% at 4 h and 7 days, which were reduced by 97% and 75% in comparison with the original foam concrete. The compressive strength and heat conductivity coefficient after soaking for 4 h of the composite coating block were higher than 4.0 MPa and 0.225 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, respectively. The UFA-based superhydrophobic composite coating proposed in this study and applied onto foam concrete is simple and cheap, requires no precise instrument, and can be applied in a large area.