Durability of Lubricated Icephobic Coatings under Multiple Icing/Deicing Cycles

Abstract

In subzero conditions, atmospheric ice naturally accretes on surfaces in outdoor environments. This accretion can compromise the operational performance of several industrial applications, such as wind turbines, power lines, aviation, and maritime transport. To effectively prevent icing problems, the development of durable icephobic coating solutions is strongly needed. Here, the durability of lubricated icephobic coatings was studied under repeated icing/deicing cycles. Lubricated coatings were produced in one-step by flame spraying with hybrid feedstock injection. The coating icephobicity was investigated by accreting ice from supercooled microdroplets using an icing wind tunnel. The ice adhesion strength was evaluated by a centrifugal ice adhesion tester. The icing performance was investigated over four icing/deicing cycles. Surface properties of coatings, such as morphology, topography, chemical composition and wettability, were analyzed before and after the cycles. The results showed an increase in ice adhesion over the cycles, while a stable icephobic behaviour was retained for one selected coating. Moreover, consecutive ice detachment caused a surface roughness increase. This promotes the formation of mechanical interlocking with ice, thus justifying the increased ice adhesion. Finally, the coating hydrophobicity mainly decreased as a consequence of the damaged surface topography. In summary, lubricated coatings retained a good icephobic level after the cycles, thus demonstrating their potential for icephobic applications.