Magnetically responsive lubricant-infused porous surfaces with controllable lubricity and durable anti-icing performance

Abstract

Using porous glucose template, magnetically responsive lubricant-infused surfaces (LISs) were prepared in this work. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) encapsulating carbonyl iron particles provided a soft porous framework, which was infused with inert dimethyl silicone oil as a lubricant. In the absence of a magnetic field, the silicone oil was stored inside the holes of the LISs. Under the influence of a magnetic field, the movement of magnetic particles drove the PDMS to shrink and deform, which resulted in the silicone oil being extruded to the sample surface to form a lubricating layer. The lubricity and anti-icing performances of the LISs with different magnetic particle contents were compared. When the mass ratio between the PDMS and magnetic particles was 1:1, the LIS exhibited the best water repellent ability and the lowest ice adhesion strength of ~16 kPa in a magnetic field. Furthermore, after 30 cycles of icing/deicing tests, the ice adhesion strength of this LIS still remained at ~16 kPa in the magnetic field, indicating good anti-icing durability. The controllable lubricity effectively avoided the rapid loss of silicone oil and improved the service life of the LISs.