With the help of double hydrogen bonds between urea groups, a self-healing anti-icing coating was prepared from polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)-based polyurea(PDMSPU) that was synthesized from bis(3-aminopropyl)-terminated PDMS and2,4-toluene diisocyanate. Furthermore, by incorporating a lubricant of inert silicone oil and the cross-linking agent of 1,3,5-tris-(4-aminophenoxy)benzene(TAPOB), the anti-icing coatings exhibited elastic, slippery and durable properties. The wettability,ice shear strength, abrasion-resistance, mechanical and self-healing properties of the prepared anti-icing coatings were systematically investigated. Results showed that the ice shear strength of the PDMSPU anti-icing coating with 150 wt% silicone oil was 7.9±2.9 kPa, significantly lower than that of pristine PDMSPU(74.7±7.2 kPa). The additional introduction of 2 wt%TAPOB could effectively counteract the adverse effect of the lubricant so that the tensile strength(~1 MPa) of the coating could be comparable to pristine PDMSPU(855±96 kPa). The PDMSPU coating containing 150 wt% silicone oil and 2 wt% TAPOB could maintain the ice shear strength below 50 kPa against 10 icing/deicing cycles and at 12.0±3.3 kPa after 5000 abrasion cycles, and exhibit self-healing properties after treating at 60°C for 10 or 15 h. The slippery self-healing PDMSPU anti-icing coatings could be suitable for anti-icing surfaces in low temperature environments.
Adverse impact of icing,on either infrastructures or facilities,is the great impulsion for seeking anti-icing coatings with high performance.In this work,durable icephobic coatings with self-regulated surface patterns were developed from branched polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)co-crosslinked with fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane(POSS)through a breath figure method.The prepared coatings with patterned microstructures on the surfaces exhibited excellent anti-icing performance ascribed to micro-crack generation between ice and coating surface under a small external force.The stable cross-linked network composed of branched PDMS and fluorinated POSS endowed the coatings with durability and abrasion resistance.Low ice shear strength was achieved at approximate 19.7±2.5 kPa on coating surface with self-regulated honeycomb pattern.After experiencing 30 icing/deicing cycles,the ice shear strength of the coating varied slightly.Additionally,owing to dedication of fluorinated POSS,the coating showed merely a little increase in ice shear strength after more than 1600 abrasion cycles,which was still in the icephobic range below 50 kPa.Hence,the prepared coatings with remarkably enhanced anti-icing performance and superior mechanical stability would be promising for the practical applications.
Poly(n-alkyl acrylate) with long side groups,namely,poly(lauryl acrylate)(PLA) was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer(RAFT) polymerization,and the trithioester terminal groups were converted to thiol by reducing reaction.Grafting of the obtained polymer onto nano-silica modified with 3-(methacryloxy)propyl-trimethoxysilane(SiO2-MPS) was conducted by thiol-ene ‘click chemistry'.PLA was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography(GPC).Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) were used to demonstrate the grafting reaction,and the grafted hairy nano-silica(SiO2-g-PLA) was viewed under a transmission electron microscope(TEM).According to TGA,grafting ratio and grafting density of SiO2-g-PLA are 30.27% and 0.013 chain/nm2,respectively.The static water contact angle of SiO2-g-PLA is (80.10±2.97)°,which ensures its hydrophobicity.Dispersion experiment was carried out to confirm its dispersibility in mixed solvents,indicating its potential application in coatings or composites.