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.
