Nanocomposites for anti-icing application
Researchers have described durable and robust PVDF-HFP/SiO2/CNTs nanocomposites for anti-icing application and invested their water repellency, icing delay and ice adhesion.
Developing superhydrophobic/icephobic coatings is of significance in limiting ice formation, and is an ideal selection to solve the icing issues faced by daily life and industrial production. Scientists have now designed and fabricated nanocomposite based superhydrophobic PVDF-HFP/SiO2/CNTs coatings. Large-area nanocomposite coatings have been fabricated, which are robust and adhesive to many substrates. As-synthesised coatings exhibited exceptional water repellency with a contact angle up to 168° and slide angle lower than 2°.
Superior deicing characteristics
The anti-icing performance of the resultant coatings was excellent and the ice formation process on aluminum film was delayed by more than 300 s at −19 °C. Moreover, the nanocomposite coating has its superior deicing characteristic. Ice adhesion strength tested is lower than 10 kPa, denoting ice can be detached naturally by the action of the wind or its own weight.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 163, February 2022.
