An extensive study of the adhesion and antifogging of the transparent polydimethylsiloxane/Sylgard coating system

This chapter reports the effects of Sylgard composition (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, and 20 wt%) on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Sylgard coating system. From the microscratch and microhardness test, the results show that PDMS/Sylgard has a higher surface stiffness with a larger Sylgard composition in the PDMS matrix. After 4 months of outdoor exposure, the coating systems show a slight degradation rate in water contact angle in the range of 1.46%–4.44%. It is worth mentioning that the degradation rate decreases with higher Sylgard composition. Higher Sylgard composition displays fewer microholes on the coated surface, indicating greater resistance against prolonged rainfall impact. Due to high hydrophobicity, the coated glass panel is impacted by tiny mist droplets only after exposure to hot-fog steam at 130°C. In conclusion, the prepared hybrid coating system is recommended as a suitable binder to synthesize an antifog and mechanical durability coating for future studies. The coating possesses a stronger adhesion to glass substrate as the Sylgard composition increases.