Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Anti‐scaling Applications

Scaling is the deposition of mineral salts on surfaces in contact with water. The scale formation has been a significant challenge for the process industries, especially for operations employing water as the process fluid. Such scale deposition reduces the process efficiency while increasing processing and maintenance costs. Surface treatment by incorporating superhydrophobic surfaces is a promising strategy to impart anti-scaling properties to the surface. A superhydrophobic surface is characterized by its low-surface-energy and ability to resist water adhesion. This chapter provides a comprehensive guide from the fundamentals to the application of using superhydrophobic surfaces to realize anti-scaling applications. A discussion on the fundamental aspects of wettability resulting in superhydrophobic behavior and the commonly employed strategies to synthesize such superhydrophobic surfaces has been elaborated. The testing protocols for quantifying the anti-scaling property of the superhydrophobic surfaces have been elaborated. Furthermore, we have also presented a mechanistic understanding of how the two essential aspects of superhydrophobic surface, i.e. the roughness and low-surface-energy, lead to scale-inhibiting properties.