A Transparent and Simple Synthesis of Superhydrophobic Coating Based on ZnO Microsheet/Epoxy Resin

Environmental conditions and pollution significantly impact the performance of the power system. In dusty and foggy environments, the risks of degradation, leakage current, and pollution flashovers increase. Based on environmental and practical concerns, self-cleaning coatings present a promising solution to prevent power system failure. The current research uses a spray-coating method to apply a robust ZnO nanosheet/Epoxy resin superhydrophobic film onto a porcelain insulator. Hydrophilic ZnO nanosheet is successfully synthesized and modified with oleic acid using a simple wet chemical method. The water contact angle for ZnO/resin coating insulators was obtained at 153º. The obtained results demonstrate that wettability remains unchanged under ultraviolet illumination. A sandpaper abrasion test was then employed to determine the high strength of double-layer ZnO/resin coatings. While coating the glass, the water contact angle was obtained as 151º on the double-layer coated glass. The results further show that compared to the uncoated glass, the coated glass slide transmits 51% visible light. A robust ZnO/resin superhydrophobic coating with high mechanical stability and constant wettability can be effectively used for power line components. ZnO/resin coating can be applied to insulators in soiling sites, preventing contamination fouling. The results also indiacte that the leakage current of the insulator decreases by approximately 42% when using superhydrophobic ZnO/resin coating.