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

Sol-gel-derived coatings’ corrosion resistance and mechanical properties have been studied frequently in the literature individually. However, there is a limitation in the studies that consider both mutually, as is common in all sol-gel hybrid coatings, 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) to silica-based sol-gel on its mechanical properties by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation, cross-cut adhesion, microhardness, and water contact angle, in line with a short investigation of corrosion resistance using electrochemical coating to test for the new modified coatings, which will be discussed. The results show 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.