Icephobic Performance of Combined Fluorine-Containing Composite Layers on Al-Mg-Mn-Si Alloy Surface

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of anti-icing properties of samples obtained by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with a subsequent application of superdispersed polytetrafluoroethylene (SPTFE) and polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF). A combined treatment of the samples with SPTFE and PVDF is also presented. It is revealed that impregnation of a PEO layer with fluoropolymer materials leads to a significant increase in surface relief uniformity. Combined PVDF-SPFTE layers with a ratio of PVDF to SPTFE of 1:4 reveal the best electrochemical characteristics, hydrophobicity and icephobic properties among all of the studied samples. It is shown that the decrease in corrosion current density Ic for PVDF-SPFTE coatings is higher by more than five orders of magnitude in comparison with uncoated aluminum alloy. The contact angle for PVDF-SPFTE coatings attain 160.5°, which allows us to classify the coating as superhydrophobic with promising anti-icing performance. A treatment of a PEO layer with PVDF-SPFTE leads to a decrease in ice adhesion strength by 22.1 times compared to an untreated PEO coating.