Mechanical stability of superhydrophobic epoxy/silica coating for better water resistance of wood

Abstract A three-step procedure has been developed for superhydrophobic coating on wood based on epoxy/silica materials in combination with hydrophobization. First, the epoxy resin is adhered to wood by immersing the samples into an epoxy resin acetone solution, then amino-functionalized silica particles are anchored by the epoxide groups, and finally, the created surface is modified by octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). The superhydrophobic surface not only is water repellent, as shown by the contact angle (CA) tests, but also decreases essentially the wood’s water absorption as determined by a 120-day water immersion test. The good mechanical stability of the coating was confirmed by a sand collision method.