Preparation and Anti-Icing Properties of Zirconia Superhydrophobic Coating

Zirconia (ZrO₂) is a ceramic material with high-temperature resistance and good insulating properties. Herein, for the first time, the surface of ZrO₂ was modified with docosanoic acid (DCA) to improve its self-cleaning and hydrophobic properties. This surface modification transformed the surface of ZrO₂ from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. A two-step spraying method was used to prepare the superhydrophobic surface of ZrO₂ by sequentially applying a primer and a topcoat. The primer was a solution configured using an epoxy resin as the adhesive and polyamide as the curing agent, while the topcoat was a modified ZrO₂ solution. The superhydrophobic surface of ZrO₂ exhibited a contact angle of 154° and a sliding angle of 4°. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and other analytical techniques were used to characterize the prepared zirconia particles and their surfaces. Moreover, results from surface self-cleaning and droplet freezing tests showed that DCA-modified ZrO₂ can be well combined, and its coatings show good self-cleaning and anti-icing properties on TA2 bases.