Scalable and durable polydimethylsiloxane coating for anti-corrosion, anti-fouling, and condensation applications

Corrosion of metal components is a long-standing problem in many industries. While barrier coatings are a commonly adopted solution, coating large-scale complex geometries is non-trivial and expensive. Furthermore, conventional anti-corrosion coatings are thick and unfavorable for thermal applications. Here, we develop a scalable and facile dip-and-flow coating method for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a thin and durable anti-corrosion coating. We demonstrate controllable implementation of coatings ranging in thickness from 300 nm to 23 μm. Corrosion and fouling durability of the coating is demonstrated under acidified seawater spray (ASTM G85-A3 standard) and realistic particulate saltwater flow conditions in a flow loop. Given its intrinsic hydrophobicity and low contact angle hysteresis, 500-nm-thick PDMS-coated substrates exhibit dropwise condensation, demonstrating 50% higher heat transfer coefficient compared to filmwise condensation on uncoated Cu. This work demonstrates a facile, scalable coating methodology for thin anti-corrosion coatings, while holistically evaluating its durability for energy applications.