Drag Reduction and Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Alloys with Superhydrophobic Coatings in Fluid Systems: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52262/prk2e902Keywords:
Superhydrophobic coatings, Surface wettability, Drag reduction, Surface engineering, Corrosion resistance.Abstract
Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) have received great attention in recent years due to their unique ability to reduce drag and improve corrosion resistance, which is of great importance in many industries such as aerospace, automotive, and marine transportation. Superhydrophobic coatings mimic natural surfaces, providing solutions to improve the performance and life of materials. This paper reviews different methods for preparing superhydrophobic surfaces, their theoretical foundations, and their applications in protecting materials from corrosion and reducing drag. Several methods such as molecular gel process, electrodeposition, spray coating, and electrolytic method for forming these surfaces on aluminum alloys were explored, with each method presenting distinct advantages and challenges. The theoretical foundations of wettability were also discussed, including Young's equation, Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter models. The sliding effect that reduces friction through the formation of air pockets on the surface was highlighted as a major mechanism in reducing drag. The experimental results showed that superhydrophobic coatings not only improve corrosion resistance but also reduce drag, leading to improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact in various applications.
References
CARRAHER JR, Charles E. Introduction to polymer chemistry. CRC press, 2017.
ROHANI, Rosiah, et al. Green approaches, potentials, and applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles in surface coatings and films. Bioinorganic Chemistry and Applications, 2022, 2022.1: 3077747.
CHEMELLO, Claudia, et al. Aluminum: History, Technology, and Conservation. Washington, Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, 2019.
LI, Xue-Wu, et al. Low-cost and large-scale fabrication of a superhydrophobic 5052 aluminum alloy surface with enhanced corrosion resistance. RSC Advances, 2015, 5.38: 29639-29646.
JAUME, Julien, et al. Surface modification of 5083 aluminum-magnesium induced by marine microorganisms. Corrosion Science, 2022, 194: 109934.
LI, Yusheng, et al. Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of a 5052 Al alloy with gradient structures. Journal of Materials Research, 2017, 32.23: 4443-4451.
BHOWMIK, Abhijeet; SRIVAS, Sharda P.; KHANDELWAL, Ashish Kumar. A Review of the properties of Aluminum Alloy Al 5052. Journal of Scientific Research in Allied Science, 2016, 2.2: 25-30.
LIRAVI, Mohammad, et al. A comprehensive review on recent advances in superhydrophobic surfaces and their applications for drag reduction. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2020, 140: 105537.
MUNEESHWARAN, M.; WANG, Chi-Chuan. Energy-saving of air-cooling heat exchangers operating under wet conditions with the help of superhydrophobic coating. Energy Conversion and Management, 2021, 229: 113740.
ELZAABALAWY, Assem; MEGUID, Shaker A. Advances in the development of superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces. International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design, 2022, 18.3: 509-547.
MANOHARAN, Kapil; BHATTACHARYA, Shantanu. Superhydrophobic surfaces review: Functional application, fabrication techniques and limitations. Journal of Micromanufacturing, 2019, 2.1: 59-78.
JIANG, Youhua; CHOI, Chang‐Hwan. Droplet retention on superhydrophobic surfaces: a critical review. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2021, 8.2: 2001205.
DARBAND, Gh Barati, et al. Science and engineering of superhydrophobic surfaces: review of corrosion resistance, chemical and mechanical stability. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 2020, 13.1: 1763-1802.
YANG, Qingchao, et al. The synthesis and mechanism of superhydrophobic coatings with multifunctional properties on aluminum alloys surface: a review. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2023, 107875.
KUMAR, Aditya; NANDA, Debasis. Methods and fabrication techniques of superhydrophobic surfaces. In: Superhydrophobic polymer coatings. Elsevier, 2019. p. 43-75.
DEHGHANGHADIKOLAEI, Amir; ANSARY, Jamal; GHOREISHI, Reza. Sol-gel process applications: A mini-review. Proc. Nat. Res. Soc, 2018, 2.1: 02008-02029.
CONDE, A.; DURÁN, A.; DE DAMBORENEA, J. J. Polymeric sol–gel coatings as protective layers of aluminium alloys. Progress in organic coatings, 2003, 46.4: 288-296.
LEE, Jeong-Won; HWANG, Woonbong. Exploiting the silicon content of aluminum alloys to create a superhydrophobic surface using the sol–gel process. Materials Letters, 2016, 168: 83-85.
BAHGAT RADWAN, Ahmed; ABDULLAH, Aboubakr M.; ALNUAIMI, Nasser A. Recent advances in corrosion resistant superhydrophobic coatings. Corrosion reviews, 2018, 36.2: 127-153.
LIU, Jianguo, et al. Fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings for corrosion protection by electrodeposition: A comprehensive review. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2020, 607: 125498.
HOODA, Amrita, et al. A review on fundamentals, constraints and fabrication techniques of superhydrophobic coatings. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2020, 142: 105557.
HOODA, Amrita, et al. A review on fundamentals, constraints and fabrication techniques of superhydrophobic coatings. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2020, 142: 105557.
DEEKSHA, P., et al. Super-hydrophobicity: Mechanism, fabrication and its application in medical implants to prevent biomaterial associated infections. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2020, 92: 1-17.
WANG, Chunze, et al. Spray-coated superhydrophobic surfaces with wear-resistance, drag-reduction and anti-corrosion properties. Colloids and surfaces A: Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 2017, 514: 236-242.
ZHANG, Youfa; GE, Dengteng; YANG, Shu. Spray-coating of superhydrophobic aluminum alloys with enhanced mechanical robustness. Journal of colloid and interface science, 2014, 423: 101-107.
JEEVAHAN, Jeya, et al. Superhydrophobic surfaces: a review on fundamentals, applications, and challenges. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, 2018, 15: 231-250.
ALI, Enas H., et al. Corrosion Protection of 5083 AA in Saline Water by Polyacrylonitrile Nano fibers. Journal of Renewable Materials, 2021, 9.11: 1927-1939.
TAS, Mahmut, et al. One‐step fabrication of superhydrophobic P (VDF‐co‐HFP) nanofibre membranes using electrospinning technique. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2020, 137.24: 48817.
MOAVEN, Kh; RAD, M.; TAEIBI-RAHNI, M. Experimental investigation of viscous drag reduction of superhydrophobic nano-coating in laminar and turbulent flows. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2013, 51: 239-243.
ZHENG, Keqin, et al. Effect of superhydrophobic composite coatings on drag reduction in laminar flow. ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2020, 2.4: 1614-1622.
LIRAVI, Mohammad, et al. A comprehensive review on recent advances in superhydrophobic surfaces and their applications for drag reduction. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2020, 140: 105537.
DU, Peng, et al. Maintenance of air layer and drag reduction on superhydrophobic surface. Ocean Engineering, 2017, 130: 328-335.
LU, Yan. Drag reduction by nanobubble clusters as affected by surface wettability and flow velocity: Molecular dynamics simulation. Tribology International, 2019, 137: 267-273.
LV, F. Y.; ZHANG, P. Drag reduction and heat transfer characteristics of water flow through the tubes with superhydrophobic surfaces. Energy Conversion and Management, 2016, 113: 165-176.
SUN, Ruoyu, et al. Robust superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surfaces with anti-icing ability, thermostability, and mechanical durability. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2020, 147: 105745.
ZHU, Guang, et al. Facile fabrication and evaluation of self-healing Zn-Al layered double hydroxide superhydrophobic coating on aluminum alloy. Journal of Materials Science, 2021, 56.26: 14803-14820.
RASITHA, T. P., et al. Facile fabrication of robust superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces with enhanced corrosion protection and antifouling properties. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2022, 162: 106560.
SASIDHARANPILLAI, Arun, et al. Highly thermally conductive Ag/SiO2 superhydrophobic coating for accelerated dropwise condensation. Ceramics International, 2021, 47.18: 26528-26538.
ZOU, Yongchun, et al. Superhydrophobic double-layer coating for efficient heat dissipation and corrosion protection. Chemical engineering journal, 2019, 362: 638-649.
ZHANG, Xinwen, et al. Durable superhydrophobic coating derived from hard-soft technology with enhanced anticorrosion performance. Corrosion Science, 2021, 193: 109889.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Al-Furat Journal of Innovations in Mechanical and Sustainable Energy Engineering

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.