Surface Modification of ZrH₂ with an Organosilicon Oligomer

The paper presents data on the hydrophobization of the surface of powdered particles of zirconium hydride ZrH₂ with polyethylhydrosiloxane. The surface morphology of ZrH₂ particles was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The particle sizes range from 1 to 5 µm; there are nanoparticles up to 100 nm in size. The association of zirconium hydride particles into agglomerates is observed. Data on the granulometric composition of the ZrH₂ powder are presented. According to the granulometric analysis, the transverse particle size of zirconium hydride does not exceed 31 µm, while most of the powder (80%) has a size not exceeding 10 µm. The specific surface of the particles is 25592 cm²/cm³, the modal particle diameter is 7.69 µm. Schemes are presented for modifying the surface of ZrH₂ particles with ethylhydrosiloxane in a solution of a nonpolar solvent. The creation of a polyethylhydrosiloxane shell led to a significant increase in the wetting angle of the zirconium hydride surface from 71.5 ± 1.3° to 136.2 ± 1.6°. It was established that the modification of zirconium hydride led to a change in the hydrophilic surface to a hydrophobic.