Wear-Resistant Thin Polytetrafluoroethylene Coatings through Nanoscale Interface Engineering

University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR

Investigators

Abstract

Polytetrafluoroethylene, better known by its brand name Teflon®, is widely used as a coating material on many products, for example, the coating on cookware to make it non-stick. However, polytetrafluoroethylene coatings are easily worn because of their poor adhesion to the substrates, severely limitating their applications. This award supports fundamental research on a novel approach to significantly improve the wear resistance of polytetrafluoroethylene coatings through nanoscale interface engineering by incorporating polydopamine as an adhesive underlayer and polydopamine coated nanostructures in both the underlayer and coating. This new approach will allow wear-resistant thin polytetrafluoroethylene coatings to be deposited on any substrate materials without changing the underlining surface topography, thus providing potential solutions to retain a wide range of surface properties that rely on both surface topography and chemistry, including, but not limited to, self-cleaning, anti-fogging, anti-icing, anti-corrosion, anti-biofouling, drag reduction, and solid lubrication. These properties are critically important for applications in energy, aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, healthcare, and biomedical industries. Therefore, results from this research will benefit the U.S. economy and society. Comprehensive education and outreach activities will be implemented which will significantly stimulate the next generation?s interest in nanomaterials and their applications and will improve America?s future competitiveness in nanotechnology. The objectives of this research are to significantly improve the wear resistance of the polytetrafluoroethylene coatings through: (1) increasing the bonding strength between the polydopamine underlayer and the polytetrafluoroethylene coating and (2) increasing the bonding strength among the polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticles within the polytetrafluoroethylene coatings. Polydopamine-coated nanostructures of various materials, shapes, and sizes will be incorporated into both the polydopamine underlayer and polytetrafluoroethylene coatings. The effects of adding polydopamine coated nanostructures into the polydopamine underlayer and the polytetrafluoroethylene coating, as well as the effects of nanostructure material, shape, size, and concentration, on the adhesion strength, mechanical properties, and wear resistance of the polytetrafluoroethylene coatings will be studied. This research program will establish fundamental understanding of the roles of the polydopamine underlayer and the polydopamine coated nanostructures in improving the wear resistance of the polytetrafluoroethylene coatings for potential surface wetting and tribological applications. This research will provide valuable information necessary to guide the rational design of wear-resistant thin polytetrafluoroethylene coatings enabled by a polydopamine adhesive underlayer and polydopamine coated nanostructures.