Advanced Icephobic Coatings

Adhesion and excessive accumulation of atmospheric ice on the surface of exposed objects such as conductors of overhead power lines, cables and conductors in aluminum can have devastating economical and safety consequences as it was the case during the 1998 and 2007 ice storms in Canada and USA. Recent advances in the understanding of ice adhesion on various substrates and in materials science have spurred interest in developing new intrinsic icephobic materials. The aim of this paper is to review the most relevant research activities related to ice adhesion mechanisms and icephobic coating development during the recent years. This will allow a better comprehension of ice adhesion, and help determine more reliable and cost effective ways to develop icephobic coatings, In order to develop icephobic coatings three main groups of materials or surface treatment can be considered: (i) self-assembled monolayers with -CH(3) or -CF(3) groups oriented outward to the ice surface, (ii) coatings with a heterogeneous chemical composition of at least two highly hydrophobic components to disrupt the structure of the liquid-like layer, and finally (iii) a porous or superhydrophobic deposits to promote the presence of tiny air pockets at the ice/solid interface to disrupt bonding by creating stress concentrations. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011