Superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface: Fabrication, structure, and corrosion resistance

A superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface was successfully fabricated by a simple and environment-friendly method with boiling water treatment and stearic acid modification. The formation procedure, phase structure, morphology, composition, and corrosion resistance of the superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface were investigated in this research. Results show that a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 154.1° can be obtained when the aluminum alloy was treated in the boiling water for 30 s and modified with 5 mmol/L of stearic acid for 24 h at room temperature. The superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface presents binary structures with both pillars and hollows. The corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy enhances with the increase of the water contact angle, and the superhydrophobic aluminum alloy has the best corrosion resistance as compared to the other aluminum alloys.