Formation of Superhydrophobic Coatings on the Track-Etched Membrane Surface by the Method of Electron-Beam Deposition of Polymers in Vacuum

Methods for the formation of one- and two-layer superhydrophobic coatings on the surface of the hydrophilic poly(ethylene terephthalate) track-etched membrane using the method of electron-beam deposition of polymers in vacuum are considered. It is shown that the use of this method with the application of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene as a target for deposition makes it possible to obtain hydrophobic and highly hydrophobic coatings with morphologically developed structure on the membrane surface. The deposition on their surface of a thin layer of polytetrafluoroethylene by the method of electron-beam deposition leads to the formation of a superhydrophobic coating. To obtain a one-layer superhydrophobic coating on the membrane surface, polytetrafluoroethylene was used as a target. It is shown that an increase in the water contact angle of the coating in this case is due to the increase in the roughness of the deposited polytetrafluoroethylene layer. The resulting composite membranes can be used in membrane distillation processes for the desalination of seawater.