Fluorinated silicone-modified epoxy acrylate amphiphobic coatings Exhibiting highly efficient resistance to simulants of chemical warfare agents

Abstract

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) could penetrate into the interior of some items, which would cause the difficulty of decontamination and pose a significant security threat to personnel due to the desorption of CWAs. In this study, fluoro-silicon-epoxy acrylate ternary prepolymer was firstly prepared, which contained fluoroalkane, epoxy and siloxane groups in its side chains. Then, fluorinated silione-modified epoxy acrylate coatings were prepared using 4,4′-diaminodicyclohexylmethane (DDCM) and organofluorosiloxane as mixed curing agents, which had excellent protective properties against 2-chloroethylethyl thioether (CEES) and dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), simulants of mustard and nerve agents. Compared to the coating prepared using DDCM, the coatings prepared with mixed curing agents possessed significantly enhanced amphiphobic properties while maintaining high resistance to CWAs simulants. By controlling the length of the fluorine-containing segment, diverse rough structures could be formed on the surface of the coating. The crosslinking density, relative fractional free volume, low surface energy materials, and rough structures were key factors for achieving coatings with good anti-penetration and amphiphobic properties against simulants. The Barrier rate of the coating against DMMP and CEES could reach 99.96% and 100%, respectively. Furthermore, contact angles of DMMP, CEES, and water on the coating could reach 120°, 109°and 148°, respectively.