Lubricant-infused coating by double-layer ZnO on aluminium and its anti-corrosion performance

In this study, double-layer zinc oxide was synthesized on an aluminium substrate by combining a sol-gel and a hydrothermal method. The bottom layer was flower-like and the upper layer was rod-shaped. The aluminium sheet coated with zinc oxide was infiltrated into a lubricating oil for 2 h to obtain an aluminium-based double-layer ZnO super-slippery surface. Testing showed that the surface demonstrated a good anti-fouling effect. The coating was hydrophobic and oleophobic, and even fruit juice and jam slipped down the surface at a small tilt angle (<5°). The corrosion resistance was also four orders of magnitude higher than that of the untreated aluminium sheet, and after three months, the anti-corrosion performance did not change significantly. Such good performance in the metal's corrosion resistance provides numerous potential application prospects.