Durable anti-icing coating
Researchers describe a mechanically robust superhydrophobic polyurethane coating for anti-icing application.
The development of superhydrophobic coatings with excellent mechanical properties is essential for effective anti-icing protection. Researchers now achieved a durable superhydrophobic anti-icing coating by introducing nanosilica, co-modified with fluoroalkyl silane and aminosilane, into polyurethane through a simple spraying and curing process. The resulting coating had a water contact angle (CA) of up to 162° and a sliding angle (SA) less than 1.5°. The researchers enhanced the mechanical and chemical durability of the coating by reacting amino groups on the silica surface with the isocyanate groups in the curing agent.
Various applications on polar ships
The coating maintained its superhydrophobicity even after 200 cycles of sandpaper abrasion, 24 h of water impact, or 500 ml of falling sand impact. Additionally, the coating exhibited excellent anti-icing performance, delaying the water-freezing time to 700 s at −15°, and the ice-adhesion strength remained lower than 13 KPa after 25 icing-deicing cycles. These results suggest that the durable superhydrophobic coatings can effectively prevent long-term icing, making them promising anti-icing candidates for various applications on polar ships.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 183, October 2023.
