Preparation of Superhydrophobic Cu/Cu ₂ S Composite Coatings with Anticorrosion Property and Antiscaling Property of Salt Crystals

During the construction of salt cavern gas storage, salt crystals may precipitate from brine and grow on the surface of tubing, resulting in salt crystals fouling of tubing. In order to improve the antiscaling property of tubing, superhydrophobic Cu/Cu 2 S composite coatings are prepared on 304 stainless steel using a combined method of electrodeposition, chemical conversion reaction and low‐energy modification. The water contact angle and sliding angle of the Cu/Cu 2 S composite coating are 158.4° and 4°, respectively. The electrochemical tests indicate that the Cu/Cu 2 S composite coating shows better corrosion resistance compared with the 304 stainless steel substrate. The Cu/Cu 2 S coating has outstanding antiscaling property and can effectively reduce the amount of salt crystals deposited on the surface. The superhydrophobic Cu/Cu 2 S coating can still maintain excellent superhydrophobicity after being immersed in solutions with pH values between 3 and 11. In addition, the superhydrophobic Cu/Cu 2 S coating has excellent self‐cleaning property, high‐temperature stability, ultraviolet‐resistant stability, and mechanical stability. Therefore, the superhydrophobic Cu/Cu 2 S composite coating has broad application prospects in the field of antiscaling tubings.