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Rubber tire mold fouling is a severe problem leading to mold surface corrosion, tire defects, and extra energy consumption. Traditional mechanical and chemical cleaning is inefficient and induces mold surface damage. Low surface energy organic coating displays antiadhesive behavior but is susceptible to wear. Here, we develop a bioinspired Co-CeO2/MoS2 coating with effective mechanical robustness, corrosion resistance, and antifouling behavior by leveraging a slippery liquid-infused surface (SLIPS) strategy. The micro-nanostructure of the coating serves as mechanical stability and anticorrosion skeleton with the infused lubricant acting as a slippery antifouling surface. The variation of microstructure, mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and antifouling behavior of the coating with individual and synergistic addition of CeO2 and MoS2 is systematically characterized. The slippery Co-CeO2/MoS2 coating shows excellent mechanical stiffness, corrosion resistance, and antifouling performances in rubber vulcanization conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber tires, as an important part of automobiles, are produced by molding operation under molten temperature and high pressure. However, mold fouling during the vulcanization process is a rock-ribbed problem that not only leads to the loss in productivity and degradation of product quality but also results in severe accidents and enormous economic losses. In this work, a promising Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coating was electroplated and investigated to solve the mold fouling problem. The effect of CeO2 content on the surface morphology, microstructure, hardness, tribological and electrochemical behavior is systematically studied. With an addition of 10 g/L CeO2, the Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coating not only possesses the highest microhardness, the best wear and corrosion resistance but also features hydrophobicity and remarkable mold antifouling performance. This study offers a new strategy for producing composite coatings with excellent performance to reduce mold fouling in practical tire industry applications. Co-Mo/CeO2 composite coatings with excellent corrosion and wear resistance as well as low surface energy were simply electrodeposited and applicated for antifouling in tire mold for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]