Droplet Impact on the Cold Elastic Superhydrophobic Membrane with Low Ice Adhesion

3D Simulations of Freezing Characteristics of Double-Droplet Impact on Cold Surfaces with Different Wettability

In this work, the freezing characteristics of double-droplet impact on three typical wettability surfaces were investigated by coupling the solidification and melting VOF models. Different temperature conditions were adopted to study the influence of icing speed on droplet behavior. Simulation results show that the motion of the double-droplet impact is consistent with that of a single droplet in the early spreading stage but behaves differently in the retraction stage. The wetting area evolution during the impact-freezing process shows different tendency for hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces: Compared with single droplets, double droplets have a smaller wetting area factor on hydrophilic surfaces but a larger one on superhydrophobic surfaces. In addition, three typical impact results are observed for the double-droplet impact on a superhydrophobic cold surface: full rebound, adhesive avulsion, and full adhesion, which reflects the interaction of droplet merging and solidification during the impact freezing of the double droplet. These findings may deepen our understanding of the mechanism of impact freezing on a cold surface, it provides reference for the associated applications and technologies in icing/anti-icing.

Recent advances in bioinspired superhydrophobic ice-proof surfaces: challenges and prospects

Bionic superhydrophobic ice-proof surfaces inspired by natural biology show great potential in daily life. They have attracted wide research interest due to their promising and wide applications in offshore equipment, transportation, power transmission, communication, energy, etc. The flourishing development of superhydrophobic ice-proof surfaces has been witnessed due to the availability of various fabrication methods. These surfaces can effectively inhibit the accumulation of ice, thereby ensuring the safety of human life and property. This review highlights the latest advances in bio-inspired superhydrophobic ice-proof materials. Firstly, several familiar cold-resistant creatures with well-organized texture structures are listed briefly, which provide an excellent template for the design of bioinspired ice-proof surfaces. Next, the advantages and disadvantages of the current techniques for the preparation of superhydrophobic ice-proof surfaces are also analyzed in depth. Subsequently, the theoretical knowledge on icing formation and three passive ice-proof strategies are introduced in detail. Afterward, the recent progress in improving the durability of ice-proof surfaces is emphasized. Finally, the remaining challenges and promising breakthroughs in this field are briefly discussed.

Enhanced Surface Icephobicity on an Elastic Substrate

Ice accumulation on exposed surfaces is unavoidable as time elapses and the temperature decreases sufficiently. To mitigate icing problems, various types of icephobic substrates have been rationally designed, including superhydrophobic substrates (SHSs), aqueous lubricating layers, organic lubricating layers, organogels, polyelectrolyte brush layers, electrolyte-based hydrogels, elastic substrates, and multicrack initiator-promoted surfaces. Among these surfaces, elastic substrates show excellent enhanced surface icephobicity during dynamic processes (i.e., water-impacting and de-icing tests). Herein, we summarize recent progress in elastic icephobic substrates and discuss the reasons that surface icephobicity can be enhanced on elastic substrates in terms of enhanced water repellency and further lowering the ice adhesion strength. For enhanced water repellency, we focus on reducing the contact time of water impacting such that water droplets can be easily shed from an elastic substrate before ice occurs. Reducing the contact time of water impacting various substrates (i.e., micro/nanostructured rigid SHSs, macrotextured rigid SHSs, and elastic SHSs) is discussed, followed by exploring their mechanisms. We argue that the ice adhesion strength can be further lowered on an elastic substrate by rationally tuning the elastic modulus and surface textures (i.e., surface textured and hollow subsurface textured) and combining elastic substrate with other passive anti-icing strategies (or functioning passive icephobic substrates with an electrothermal or photothermal stimulus). In short, the introduction of an elastic substrate into a passive or active icephobicity surface opens an avenue toward designing a versatile icephobic surface, providing great potential for outdoor anti-icing applications.

Investigation of the Effects of Component Ratios on the Properties of Superhydrophobic Polyurethane/Fluorinated Acrylic Co-Polymer/SiO2 Nanocomposite Coatings

In this work, polyurethane/fluorinated acrylic co-polymer/silicon dioxide (PU/FAP/SiO2) hybrid superhydrophobic coatings were fabricated on glass substrates via a simple one-step coating process. The effects of each coating component on the coating properties were systematically investigated. The optimized coating exhibits a water contact angle (WCA) of 159° and a rolling angle of 3°. Meanwhile, the coating has an optical light transmittance of 88%, indicating the good transparency of the coating. Besides, the coating demonstrates an adequate level of abrasion resistance. After a total abrasion distance of 300 cm against a piece of 800 mesh sand paper, the sample still kept a water contact angle of about 110°, showing its high abrasion resistance. Therefore, the optimized coating has a great potential for practical application.