Functional coatings enhancing condenser performance

Abstract

Coatings for enhancing performance of materials surfaces, methods of producing the coating and coated substrates, and coated condensers are disclosed herein. More particularly, exemplary embodiments provide chemical coating materials useful for coating condenser components.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A condenser system, comprising at least one vapor condensing surface having metal, metalloid, metal alloy organic or polymeric particles distributed across the surface of the vapor-condensing surface, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 50 nm to 5 μm. 
     
     
         2 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the particles provide a contact angle on the vapor-condensing surface of between 90 and 110 degrees with deionized water at a temperature of 70-90° C. 
     
     
         3 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are silver particles. 
     
     
         4 . The condenser system of  claim 2 , wherein the contact angle is between 100 and 110 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are polymer based particles. 
     
     
         6 . The condenser system of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer based particles are fluorinated polymers, olefinic polymers, sulfonated hydrocarbon polymers, phosphonated hydrocarbon polymers, or silicone polymers. 
     
     
         7 . The condenser system of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer based particles are polytetrafluorethylene. 
     
     
         8 . The condenser system of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer based particles are poly (phenylene-sulfide). 
     
     
         9 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the surface is copper. 
     
     
         10 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are a single layered molecular coating. 
     
     
         11 . A method of forming a condenser system comprising depositing particles on a vapor-condensing surface, wherein the particles are selected from the group consisting of metals, metalloids, alloys thereof, and polymers, and wherein the particles are in a layer of about 1 μm or less. 
     
     
         12 . The condenser system of  claim 1 , wherein the surface has a surface energy of less than about 40 mJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The condenser system of  claim 17 , wherein the surface has a total surface energy of less than about 30 mJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         14 . The condenser system of  claim 17 , wherein the total surface energy is calculated by the formula γ=γ h +γ d . where γ h  is a surface energy component due to a hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions and γ d  is a dispersion component of surface energy. 
     
     
         15 . A substrate comprising at least one surface coated with silver particles and a self-assembly monolayer of a polymer. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising contacting a metal substrate with a silver solution and subsequently applying a polymer self-assembly monolayer. 
     
     
         17 . The substrate of claim  21  or method of claim  22 , wherein the substrate is copper or a copper alloy. 
     
     
         18 . The substrate of claim  21  or method of claim  22 , wherein the polymer is a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon. 
     
     
         19 . The substrate of claim  21  or method of claim  22 , wherein the polymer is 1-dodecanethiol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of claim  22 , wherein the silver solution is silver nitrate.