Constantinou J., Panwar A., Mitra S., Nahum T., Wagner M., Dodiuk H., Barry C., Kenig S., Mead J.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell, US
Keywords: icephobic, superhydrophobic
Accumulation of ice on the surfaces of windmills, airplanes, ships and telecommunications equipment hinders the efficient functioning of this equipmement, which can be overcome by the use of an icephobic coating. Prior work has established a correlation between icephobic and super hydrophobic characteristics. A possible route to obtaining an icephobic surface is through a combination of surface geometry and chemical functionalization. Additional prior work has demonstrated the potential for preparation of icephobic surfaces from combinations of silica, silanes, and POSS, however, these coatings, while being icephobic, were not durable. In this work a cost-effective and durable coating based on commercially available fluorinated silanes and silica is described. The effectiveness is dependent upon the roughness imparted by the silica particles. The icephobic effect was determined by an increase in contact angles and a decrease in sliding angle. Contact angles of more than 165° and a sliding angle of less than 1° were obtained on glass and polycarbonate substrates. The surface morphology of the coatings was studied using FESEM, roughness was determined using AFM, and the contact angles were measured. Durability of the coatings was determined using a tape test.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Nanotechnology 2014: Graphene, CNTs, Particles, Films & Composites
Published: June 15, 2014
Pages: 229 - 232
Industry sector: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
Topics: Advanced Materials for Engineering Applications, Coatings, Surfaces & Membranes
ISBN: 978-1-4822-5826-4