Robust polyurea icephobic coatings with static large-scale de-icing and dynamic anti-icing performance

Abstract

Ice accumulation significantly affects the operation of infrastructure and the safety of transportation. Passive icephobic materials utilize inherent properties to achieve anti-icing performance, which has the benefits of no energy consumption and environmental protection. However, their degraded robustness in harsh environments severely limits practical applications. It is still a challenge to prepare icephobic materials that maintain both icephobicity and robustness. In this study, we propose a rational strategy for revolutionarily achieving both icephobicity and robustness by adopting a combination of soft and hard segments impregnated with the lubricant agent. Based on the strategy, the polyurea icephobic coating (PUIC) developed by the NCO-terminated prepolymer, polyaspartic ester, and dimethyl silicone oil ensures rapid and nondamaging ice detachment on the interface (low ice adhesion strength ∼23.7 kPa) via the synergistic effects of hydrophobicity, elastic deformation, and interfacial slippage. In addition, the resulting PUIC can reserve icephobicity under not only continuous 5000 Taber abrasion cycles before the complete wearing off the coating, but also 50 icing/de-icing cycles, 72 h acid/alkali immersion, 72 h UV radiation, and 240 h neutral salt spray. Furthermore, the destroyed PUICs can be recovered by organic solvents and maintain excellent icephobicity. Together with icephobicity, robustness, and scalability, PUICs are effective in static large-scale de-icing and dynamic anti-icing, with broad prospects in practical applications.