Fabrication of a Porous Slippery Icephobic Surface and Effect of Lubricant Viscosity on Anti-Icing Properties and Durability

Abstract

A breakdown caused by the icing of power generation infrastructure is one of the serious disasters occurring in the power system. Slippery lubricant-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs), whose ice adhesion strength is extremely low, have a promising application in the anti-icing field. In the present study, we fabricated SLIPSs with low ice adhesion strength by infusing silicone oil into an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) substrate. In addition, the effects of the viscosity of silicone oil on the anti-icing properties and durability of the SLIPSs were investigated. The results show that a lower viscosity silicone oil brings about more slippery surfaces and lower ice adhesion strength. The ice adhesion strength was reduced by 99.3% in comparison with the bare Al alloy. However, low-viscosity silicone oil has worse de-icing resistance and heat resistance. Additionally, the porous films filled with low-viscosity silicone oil possess a better self-healing property after icing/de-icing cycles and followed by exposure to the atmosphere. When the viscosity of silicone oil is 50 mPa·s, the SLIPSs exhibit the best durability for anti-icing. Even after 21 de-icing tests or 168 h of heating at 90 °C, the ice adhesion strength still remains below 10% compared with that of bare Al. This work provides some useful advice for the design and fabrication of anti-icing SLIPSs.

A Simple Approach for Flexible and Stretchable Anti-icing Lubricant-Infused Tape

“…This performance is comparable to what has been observed in similar systems tested in laboratory conditions. ,, However, in real applications, the properties and the stability of SLIPSs (including the ones presented herein) could differ as the mechanical stability of the soot matrix is limited when compared to other anti-icing technologies (see Table S1).…”

“…This performance is comparable to what has been observed in similar systems tested in laboratory conditions. 28,39,47 However, in real applications, the properties and the stability of SLIPSs (including the ones presented herein) could differ as the mechanical stability of the soot matrix is limited when compared to other anti-icing technologies (see Table S1). Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that in the case of damage that compromises the icephobic function of the coating, the cheap and rapid fabrication procedure allows for its swift substitution.…”

“…One advantage of SLIPSs over AIGs is that the former can be obtained from a broad variety of nanostructured materials, such as polymers, carbon, metal oxides, metals, and even paper, and thus, they appear as a very versatile solution to achieve icephobicity in diverse applications. − This versatility also translates in the possibility of preparing extremely low-cost designs, ideal for low-end applications.…”

Parameter Study for the Ice Adhesion Centrifuge Test

“…Furthermore, the often-highlighted parameter contact angle hysteresis (CAH), as a suitable correlating parameter for the icephobic performance [9,11,15], follows the same trend as the SFE. The identified findings might not be valid for superhydrophobic surfaces (e.g., [26][27][28][29][30]) or materials following or inspired by the slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) approach (e.g., [24,[31][32][33]), as they can generate "extreme" values, constituting exceptions to the general rule. Moreover, the elastomeric properties of coating materials are discussed as relevant parameters for the ice adhesion strength [12] but should not be dominant in this study due to the low (<100 µm) and comparable material thicknesses.…”

Assessment of Icephobic Coatings—How Can We Monitor Performance Durability?

“…(2016), low ice adhesion values can be achieved with such hydrophobic (e.g., silicone-based) materials (>10 kPa). Even lower values can be considered for slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) (>0.3 kPa) [4,23]. However, the technical robustness and durability of the selected silanized PUR material is thought to be higher.…”