Development of Epoxy Modified SiO2 Hydrophobic Coating with Enhanced Self-Cleaning Properties

Hydrophobic materials are ubiquitous in our daily lives due to their water-repellent properties. However, the preparation of many hydrophobic materials involves complex, time-consuming, and environmentally harmful processes. These challenges significantly limit their practical applications. In this paper, epoxy resin was crosslinked with triethylene tetramine to form a gel with a three-dimensional network structure. The gel was modified with fumed silica to create a micro/nano rough structure on the surface. Specialty silicone resin (ST-401) was applied to enhance the environmental stability of the coating. The coating structure, elemental composition, and surface morphology were analyzed and characterized. The hydrophobicity, transparency, self-cleaning, and durability of the coating were tested. The results showed that the epoxy modified SiO2 coating had good hydrophobicity and transparency, as well as excellent self-cleaning performance, water shock resistance and acid resistance. However, its alkali resistance remains a challenge.