A resilient superhydrophobic photothermal SiC/carbon coating for enhanced anti-icing and deicing performance under extreme environmental conditions

Abstract

Icing poses significant economic and safety challenges. While superhydrophobic surfaces offer excellent water repellency and reduced ice adhesion, their limited durability in cold conditions restricts practical use. To address this, photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces have been developed, but achieving high photothermal efficiency, exceptional anti-icing performance, and durability remains a challenge. In this study, a durable superhydrophobic photothermal anti-icing (SPAI) surface was fabricated on aluminum (Al) using SiC and carbon particles (CS) via a two-step spraying process. The SPAI surface was fabricated by applying an epoxy resin layer on aluminum surface, followed by spraying a mixture of modified SiC, and CS with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The resulting surface demonstrated (i) excellent water repellency, with a water contact angle of 161° and a rolling angle of 5°, (ii) outstanding photothermal performance, achieving a 72.3 °C temperature increase under 1 sun illumination for 300 s, and (iii) superior mechanical stability and long-term durability. The SPAI coating demonstrated excellent anti-icing, deicing, and defrosting performance at −25 °C, with a freezing delay of 492 s and deicing/defrosting times of 130 and 141 s, respectively, under 1 sun exposure. It exhibited low ice adhesion strength (45 ± 10 kPa at −20 °C) and maintained durability, with ice adhesion remaining ~99 kPa after 13 icing/deicing cycles. Durability was validated through abrasion, cross-cut tape adhesion, and freeze-thaw tests. The surface also exhibited non-wetting properties when exposed to various food liquids and demonstrated excellent long-term stability in ambient conditions. The proposed surface offers a scalable, durable solution for anti-icing and deicing.