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    Robust icephobic nanocomposite coatings with superior abrasion resistance

    Year: 2022

    Journal: Appl. Mater. Today, Volume 27, JUN

    Authors: Nistal, Andres; Ruiz-Gonzalez, Antonio; Choy, Kwang-Leong

    Organizations: European Commission [723526]; Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucia) under the Hipatia programme PPIT2020 (Plan Propio de Investigacion y Transferencia de la Universidad de Almeria, cofinanciado con fondos FEDER), Spain

    Keywords: Icephobic; Robust; Graphene; Silane; Surface tension; Crack initiator

    Icephobic coatings are required for many applications in extremely cold environments, ranging from transport, communications, and infrastructure to energy systems. For practical applications, the ice adhesion strength (IAS) is the most suitable parameter to quantify the icephobicity of a coating, since ice would form on any surface if the conditions are extremely cold. From an engineering view point, an icephobic coating should also be robust, durable, environmentally friendly, and easy to apply over large and complex surfaces at a low cost. Here we report an epoxy based icephobic nanocomposite coating with the typical robustness of epoxy and an IAS as low as 9 +/- 3 kPa. The superior icephobicity is provided by the incorporation of silane modified graphene nanoplatelets. Three different silanes are selected based on their low surface energy and their icephobic performance is discussed. The nanocomposite coatings are not only hydrophobic but also their low surface energy have allowed the IAS to be decreased dramatically, below the natural ice detachment threshold. The extraordinary robust icephobic nanocomposite coating reported herein remained icephobic after severe damage through abrasion. This study has demonstrated the potential use of low surface tension silanes for the development of highly robust icephobic coatings to be used in harsh and extreme cold environments. Crown Copyright (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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