Anti-scaling performance of slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) produced onto electrochemically-textured 1020 carbon steel

The formation of scale from the deposition of sparingly soluble inorganic salts is a very well-known problem for ducts and equipment in a wide variety of industrial activities such as oil and gas production, water treatment, power plants, and many others causing economic losses and operational damage. Therefore, the development of surfaces called SLIPS (Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface) that may be able to inhibit this phenomenon is a subject worth investigating. In order to produce SLIPS with adequate performance, it is first necessary to develop a textured hydrophobic surface that can be impregnated with lubricating liquids presenting low surface tension. The development of SLIPS from substrates with adequate mechanical resistance, similar to those presented by steels, is crucial in view of the abrasion to which valves, equipment, and pipelines are subjected during operation under industrial activities. This work reports the anti-fouling properties, against scaling brine, of SLIPS prepared from electrochemically textured 1020 carbon steel functionalized with 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10-heptadecafluorodecylphosphonic acid (HDFDPA) and impregnated with the lubricant liquid Krytox® oil, a perfluoro compound. The SLIPS obtained presents a much lower degree of scale than the unmodified substrate and also ensures a good level of corrosion resistance.