Publication – Conference Proceedings

Development of Bioinspired Fatty Acid-Based Coatings for Advancing Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Conference contribution – Poster presentation
The 20th Israel Materials Engineering Conference (IMEC20), Jerusalem, Israel, 25–26 February 2025

Presented within the framework of the SafeWax project, this poster presentation reports progress in the development of SafeWax coatings based on fatty acids tailored for agricultural applications.

A facile solvent-based spray deposition method was developed using ethyl acetate as an environmentally friendly solvent. Ethyl acetate offers an optimal balance between evaporation rate, coating microstructure formation, and low environmental and health risks. This approach enables the formation of uniform coatings exhibiting contact angles above 150° and low hysteresis, indicative of pronounced superhydrophobicity.

The coatings show excellent thermal and UV stability, ensuring durability and consistent performance under diverse environmental conditions. To elucidate structure–property relationships and optimize performance, the coatings are being characterized using SEM, nanoindentation, HR-XRD, confocal microscopy, and optical tensiometry, providing insights into morphology, crystallinity, mechanical integrity, and surface wetting behavior.

Overall, this study lays the groundwork for eco-friendly, multifunctional coatings that can reduce pesticide use, improve crop resilience, and contribute to the EU Green Deal goals for sustainable agriculture.