TY - JOUR
T1 - Bioinspired nanofilament coatings for scale reduction on steel
AU - Ali, Siad Dahir
AU - Rasmussen, Mette Heidemann
AU - Catalano, Jacopo
AU - Frederiksen, Christian Husum
AU - Weidner, Tobias
N1 - Copyright © 2025, Ali et al.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Scaling of steel surfaces, prevalent in various industrial applications, results in significant operational inefficiencies and maintenance costs. Inspired by the natural hydrophobicity of springtail (Collembola) skin, which employs micro- and nanostructures to repel water, we investigate the application of silicone nanofilaments (SNFs) as a coating on steel surfaces to mitigate scaling. Silicone nanofilaments, previously successful on polymers, textiles, and glass, are explored for their hydrophobic properties and stability on steel. Our study demonstrates the successful coating of stainless steel with SNFs, achieving super-hydrophobicity and resilience under high shear stress and explosion/decompression tests. Scaling experiments reveal a 75.5% reduction in calcium carbonate deposition on SNF-coated steel surfaces. This reduction is attributed to altered flow dynamics near the super-hydrophobic surface, inhibiting nucleation and growth of scale. Our findings highlight the potential of bioinspired SNF coatings to enhance the performance and longevity of steel surfaces in industrial environments.
AB - Scaling of steel surfaces, prevalent in various industrial applications, results in significant operational inefficiencies and maintenance costs. Inspired by the natural hydrophobicity of springtail (Collembola) skin, which employs micro- and nanostructures to repel water, we investigate the application of silicone nanofilaments (SNFs) as a coating on steel surfaces to mitigate scaling. Silicone nanofilaments, previously successful on polymers, textiles, and glass, are explored for their hydrophobic properties and stability on steel. Our study demonstrates the successful coating of stainless steel with SNFs, achieving super-hydrophobicity and resilience under high shear stress and explosion/decompression tests. Scaling experiments reveal a 75.5% reduction in calcium carbonate deposition on SNF-coated steel surfaces. This reduction is attributed to altered flow dynamics near the super-hydrophobic surface, inhibiting nucleation and growth of scale. Our findings highlight the potential of bioinspired SNF coatings to enhance the performance and longevity of steel surfaces in industrial environments.
KW - bioinspired materials
KW - calcium carbonate
KW - offshore assets
KW - stainless-steel coating
KW - super-hydrophobicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85216882803&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3762/BJNANO.16.3
DO - 10.3762/BJNANO.16.3
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39811243
SN - 2190-4286
VL - 16
SP - 25
EP - 34
JO - Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
JF - Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
ER -