Study on the preparation and stearic acid modification of hydrophobic Ni625 laser cladding coating.

• A rough micro-structure was obtained utilizing powder adhesion in laser cladding. • The coating surface became hydrophobic when it absorbed organics in the atmosphere. • The hydrophobicity of the coating was improved by stearic acid modification. Much attention has been paid to hydrophobic coatings in metal surface engineering. In this study, a rough micro-structure was formed on the coating by utilizing powder adhesion during laser cladding. Upon adsorption of hydrocarbons and their derivatives with low surface energy present in the atmospheric environment, the coating showed hydrophobic behavior. After the coating was modified by a stearic acid solution, the water contact angle of the coating surface increased from 137.2 ± 2.8° to 149.1 ± 3.3°, indicating that the hydrophobicity of the coating was further improved. According to the electrochemical results, the modified coating exhibited improved anti-corrosion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]