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Icephobic, Pt-Cured, Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposite Coatings
Yongfeng Liu1,2,3, Chenyu Wang2, Rebecca M Jarrell2
1CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources and Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, People's Republic of China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|February 4, 2020
Summary
Novel silicone coatings incorporating MQ-R nanoparticles were developed for icephobicity. Lower MQ-R content reduced ice adhesion, offering potential energy savings and safety benefits.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Tribology
Background:
- Developing ice-phobic surfaces is crucial for energy efficiency and safety in various applications.
- Silicone-based coatings offer tunable properties but require optimization for ice release.
- Nanoscale reinforcement can significantly alter bulk and surface characteristics of coatings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ice adhesion properties of novel platinum-cured silicone coatings reinforced with MQ-R nanoparticles.
- To understand the influence of MQ-R content and curing temperature on coating properties and ice release.
- To explore the relationship between mechanical properties and ice adhesion at different temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of optically transparent platinum-cured silicone coatings with varying MQ-R wt %.
- Surface characterization using dynamic contact angles and atomic force microscopy.
- Bulk characterization via stress-strain measurements and dynamic mechanical analysis.
- Ice adhesion tests conducted at -10 °C and -30 °C to determine peak removal force (τ_ice).
Main Results:
- Ice adhesion (τ_ice) was reduced at lower MQ-R content, indicating enhanced icephobicity.
- Higher curing temperatures (100 °C vs. 25 °C) led to increased storage modulus but unexpectedly lower ice removal force at -30 °C.
- MQ-R acted as a reactive filler, significantly increasing modulus at higher MQ-R concentrations and 100 °C cure.
- An unexpected finding was that frozen water at -30 °C impedes ice removal more than supercooled water at -10 °C.
Conclusions:
- Platinum-PDMS coatings with low MQ-R content demonstrate significant potential for ice adhesion resistance, contributing to energy savings and safety.
- The interplay between curing temperature, MQ-R content, and temperature-dependent ice adhesion is complex and warrants further investigation.
- High MQ-R content yields coatings with enhanced mechanical properties, suitable for applications requiring durability.
