Phase transition enabled durable anti-icing surfaces and its DIY design

Abstract

Generally, the longevity and durability of slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) applied for anti-icing purpose are of great challenge. In this work, phase transformable slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (PTSLIPS) are fabricated to overcome this tough barrier. The underlying mechanism relies on the physical property of lubricant that enables the transformation to solid state before water freezing. Peanut oil infused porous PDMS substrates show low ice adhesion strength (4∼22 kPa) as well as excellent durability. For selected samples, low ice adhesion strength around ∼16 kPa maintains after 30 icing/de-icing cycles due to the phase transition property of the lubricant. In addition to the promising ice adhesion strength and durability, PTSLIPS also suit to various substrates with numerous chemical compositions (both hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials), wide pore size distributions and diverse pore morphologies. PTSLIPS with a variety of ice adhesion strength are demonstrated with substrates (wipers, foams and paper) that can be found easily from household garbage and lab supplies. Therefore, we show the possibility of creating anti-icing surfaces by Do-It-Yourself (DIY) with porous materials in hand. The PTSLIPS also possess self-repairing property with excellent physical damage resistance, and scratches on PTSLIPS have minor effects on their ice adhesion strength.