Flame-Sprayed Ceramic and Metallic Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous and Icephobic Surfaces

This study explores the potential of flame-sprayed (FS) slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) in addressing challenges associated with icing on structures in different industrial areas. Emphasizing the versatility of flame spraying, metallic (NiCr) and ceramic (Al₂O₃) coatings were investigated. FS coatings can exhibit high porosity, a crucial requirement for SLIPS. FS-Al₂O₃ and FS-NiCr exhibited high porosity, 14.8% and 6.7% porosity, respectively. The introduction of lubricating agents, such as silicone oil and epoxy-based sealing agent, enhances coatings’ slipperiness, resulted in icephobic surfaces. These surfaces with reduced ice adhesion strengths were compared to their as-sprayed counterparts. As-sprayed surfaces had high ice adhesion strength (> 100 kPa). SLIPSs achieved lower ice adhesion strength around 63 kPa for the first icing-deicing cycle but could not retain the properties until the last cycle due to oil loss. Even though icephobicity was decreased, porous coating structures were protected by the remaining oil and survived icing-deicing cycles. Therefore, refilling of these structures is possible for long-term icephobicity. Sealed coatings showed stable low ice adhesion strengths around 60 kPa across four icing and deicing cycles, highlighting their potential for practical icephobic applications. Despite challenges in oil retention and durability for SLIPS under harsh icing conditions, flame spraying makes metallic and ceramic SLIPS possible for developing icephobic solutions.