High-durability elastomeric coatings with ultra-icephobic performance

 
Superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical micro/nano-roughness exhibit excellent ice repellency under static conditions. However unresolved challenges occur under life-time service conditions: moisture condensation coalesces between the voids of surface features, water drops impinge under high-speed impact of the moving aircraft or vehicle. The resilience, wear and adhesion of coatings to the substrate are also often inadequate. Recent research demonstrates that smooth surfaces presenting liquid/oily interfaces alleviate many drawbacks of textured surfaces. Theoretical and experimental details of novel approach demonstrating significant improvement of icephopbicity of coatings based on elastomeric resins with controlled elasticity modulus are presented here. The simplicity and robustness of proposed approach offer feasible path for a variety of industrial applications.