Icephobic armored ceramic via hierarchical microarchitecture engineering: Achieving damage-tolerant surfaces with sustained dynamic anti-icing performance

Abstract

A mechanically robust superhydrophobic ceramic armor with a hybrid frame/protrusion microstructure was fabricated using nanosecond laser technology. This architecture exhibited exceptional durability, enduring 1000 cycles of linear abrasion (3 N load), 40 high-pressure water jet impact (1.0 MPa), and prolonged thermal exposure (100 °C for 18 days). The armored surface demonstrated superior anti-icing performance, accelerating droplet shedding (no adhesion for 2 h), delaying ice nucleation by approximately threefold, and maintaining ice adhesion strength below 35 kPa after 30 freeze-thaw cycles. The simplified fabrication process, requiring minimal surface precision, underscores its potential for scalable industrial deployment.