Self-Healing Superhydrophobic Coatings

该项目的目标是开发同时具有超疏水和/或全疏水特性的自修复涂层。总体目标是研究涂层的形成，这些涂层可以从各种严重类型的损伤中自我修复。超疏水材料是广泛应用的关键，但由于缺乏自我修复能力，它们的耐久性较差。该项目旨在解决的研究问题是，是否可以在保持高耐久性的同时，为超水材料开发自修复性能。学生将开发和进行材料的合成，并将研究基于网络的聚合物，它可以赋予自我修复性能和耐久性。这种表面可应用于诸如医院等领域的“易清洁”地板和墙面，从而在一定程度上控制通过更清洁的表面减少医院感染，因此符合EPSRC的医疗保健技术主题区域。学生将接受培训，使用各种材料表征技术分析涂层，并测试所得涂层的功能特性。然后，学生继续开发双功能涂料(抗菌/超疏水或全憎水)，并将其整合到涂料配方中。这将导致开发新的或改进的产品，用于医院地板/墙面覆层，并与制造技术领域建立联系。进一步的开发还可能导致在交通领域的应用，如汽车轮毂。

This aim of this project is to develop self-healing coatings that also possess superhydrophobic and/or omniphobic properties. The overall objective is to investigate the formation of coatings that can self-heal from various severe types of damage. Superhyrophobic materials are key for a wide range of applications but they suffer from poor durability due to their lack of self-healing ability. The research question that the project aims to address is whether self-healing properties can be developed for superhydrophic materials while also maintaining high durability. The student will develop and carry out the synthesis of the materials and will investigate network based polymers which can impart the self-healing property and durability. Such surfaces could find application in 'easy-to-clean' flooring and wall cladding utilised in areas such as hospitals allowing some control towards reducingI hospital acquired infections via cleaner surfaces and hence fits with the healthcare technologies theme area of the EPSRC. The student will be trained to analyse the coatings using the full range of materials characterisation techniques and also to test the functional properties of the resulting coatings. The student with then progress onto developing dual functionality coatings (antimicrobial / superhydrophobic or omniphobic) and integration into coating formulations. This will lead to the development of novel or improved products for use in hospital flooring / wall cladding and links in with the manufacturing technologies area. Further developments could also result in applications within transport, such as car wheel hubs.