The influence of adding silica Fluoroalkylsilane on the morphology, mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of sol-gel derived coatings

Sol-gel-derived coating's corrosion resistance and mechanical properties were studied a lot in the literature individually. However, there was a limitation in the studies that considered both mutually, as is common in all sol-gel hybrid coating, for instance, mechanical failures such as cracks that influence the mechanical durability of coatings as well as their corrosion resistance. Therefore, this research will study the impact of adding Fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) in silica-based sol-gel on its mechanical properties by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation, cross-cut adhesion, Micro-hardness and water contact angle, inline with a short investigation of corrosion resistance by using electrochemical coating testing for the new modified coatings will be discussed. The results showed that the new modified coating with Fluoroalkylsilane was more flexible and could produce mechanical and corrosion protection stability, enhancing the hydrophobicity of the new surface, which is essential within the coating industry.