Designing Silicone-Epoxy Coatings for Outdoor Applications: Long-Term Icephobicity and UV Resistance

Outdoor infrastructures and energy systems frequently operate under severe climatic constraints, where prolonged UV exposure and repetitive icing-deicing cycles accelerate coating degradation and compromise long-term reliability. In this work, we report a new class of chemically engineered silicone-epoxy coatings that uniquely combine flexible siloxane linkages with an optimized UV-stabilization package to achieve durable, weather-resilient icephobicity. The formulation incorporates a reactive silicone intermediate resin (DC3037, phenyl: methyl 0.25:1), consistent with its integration into the epoxy backbone via stable Si-O-C bonds. This architecture promotes controlled surface migration of siloxane chains, generating a lubricating, low-surface-energy interface essential for long-term ice repellency. To mitigate the well-known photodegradation of silicone-epoxy networks, a synergistic stabilizer systemTinuvin 400 and 329 (UV absorbers) coupled with Tinuvin 292 (HALS)was incorporated to suppress photo-oxidation and yellowing. Comparative evaluation against a commercial benchmark demonstrated markedly superior environmental durability, including the retention of icephobic performance after extensive cycling. The optimized coating exhibited an ice adhesion strength below 20 kPa after 50 icing/deicing cycles and exceptional resistance to UV-induced chemical and optical degradation, with a total color change ΔE < 3 and a yellowing index < 20 after 300 h of accelerated UV exposure. Overall, this multifunctional silicone-epoxy system represents a robust and scalable solution for protecting outdoor equipment in cold and high-irradiance environments, offering a significant advancement toward next-generation durable icephobic and weather-resistant coatings.