Preparation and anti-icing property of a lotus-leaf-like superhydrophobic low-density polyethylene coating with low sliding angle

A lotus-leaf-like superhydrophobic low-density polyethylene (LDPE) coating with low sliding angle was prepared by a facile method. The water contact angle and sliding angle of the as-prepared superhydrophobic LDPE coating were 156 +/- 1.7 degrees and 1 degrees, respectively. The anti-icing property of the as-prepared LDPE coating with low sliding angle was investigated in a climatic chamber with a working temperature of -5 degrees C. The results showed that the superhydrophobic LDPE coating with low sliding angle can largely prevent ice formation on the surface, showing excellent anti-icing property. The as-prepared superhydrophobic LDPE coating with good anti-icing property will be perfectly desirable for outdoor equipments to reduce ice formation on their surfaces in cold seasons. This work will provide a new way to fabricate anti-icing coating and thus find applications in a variety of fields. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. (C) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers